Women, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, are more likely than men to give overseas. An excellent analysis of the study and speculation about its implications can be found in Sex and Giving, on Philanthrocapitalism blog.

Blog writers Matthew Bishop & Michael Green speculate on reasons why women are more like to think globally in their philanthropy focus, based on this elemental research study.

Bill and Melinda Gates via Tedizen on FlickrTheir reasons are valid — yes Melinda Gates has influenced Bill’s conscience and awareness of the world at large. Smart Sensuality women — while stylish and not unconsumers — are less concerned about the clothes in their closet than starving children in India.

At a fundamental level, I believe the real answer to the gender difference lies with the Cultural Creatives vs Modern values sets.

Men are more likely to be Moderns, whereas 65% of the Cultural Creatives are women. CC’s remain smaller in numbers than Moderns (about 30% of the American population, compared to 45-50% Moderns, but they are growing rapidly and probably even stronger in the college population surveyed in the study.)

Global Village Festival Amersfoort 2006, via Flickr’s hansspeekenbrinkCultural Creatives are more likely to be global givers’ generally. Moderns want their names on the building, and Traditionals tend to be church givers.

The ‘branding” of the Cultural Creatives concept at Wisdom University is a bit “new age” and there suspect to a trend called “philanthrocapitalism”, but Dr. Paul Ray’s research is rock solid in my playbook. I met with Dr. Ray in 1999, when the first Cultural Creatives study hit the radar. His updated summer 2008 study release seems behind schedule — at a time when we need it.

I’ve tracked and cross-checked Dr. Ray’s demographic research on Traditionals, Moderns, and Cultural Creatives for a decade and find it to be one of the most influential and relevant, if underexposed, concepts of our time. Dr. Ray’s research is a key foundation of my own consulting practice and the evolving Anne of Carversville branding strategy. Anne

More reading: It’s a Bull Market for Women Philanthropists Supporting Women’s Causes in Every Corner of the Globe

Smart Sensuality Women Support Philanthropy that Delivers Results