Hostile and Benevolent Sexism

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Glick ◽  
Susan T. Fiske
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Attitudes Toward Women ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Gender Differentiation ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
Sexist Attitudes ◽  
Intimate Relations ◽  
Traditional Roles

A theory of sexism as ambivalence, not just hostility, toward women is presented. Ambivalent Sexism Theory distinguishes between hostile and “ benevolent” sexism (each addresses issues of power, gender differentiation, and sexuality). Benevolent sexism encompasses subjectively positive (for the sexist) attitudes toward women in traditional roles: protective paternalism, idealization of women, and desire for intimate relations. Hostile sexism encompasses the negative equivalents on each dimension: dominative paternalism, derogatory beliefs, and heterosexual hostility. Both forms of sexism serve to justify and maintain patriarchy and traditional gender roles. The validity of a measure of these constructs, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), is reviewed. Comparisons are offered between the ASI and other measures of sexist attitudes (e.g., the AWS), with suggestions for the proper domains of different scales.

Benevolent Sexism and Hostile Sexism Across the Ages

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 863-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Hammond ◽  
Petar Milojev ◽  
Yanshu Huang ◽  
Chris G. Sibley
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Attitudes Toward Women ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Linear Trajectory ◽  
Sexist Attitudes ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Over Time

Ambivalent sexism theory states that prejudice toward women comprises two interrelated ideologies. Endorsement of hostile sexism—aggressive and competitive attitudes toward women—is linked with endorsement of benevolent sexism—paternalistic and patronizing attitudes toward women. We conduct the first systematic tests of how endorsement of sexism differs across age and across time, using six waves of a nationally representative panel sample of New Zealand adults ( N = 10,398). Results indicated U-shaped trajectories for men’s endorsement of hostile sexism, women’s hostile sexism, and women’s benevolent sexism across the life span. However, over time, endorsement of these sexist attitudes tended to decrease for most ages. In contrast, men’s benevolent sexism followed a positive linear trajectory across age and tended not to change over time. These results provide novel evidence of how ambivalent sexism differs across age and highlight that benevolent sexism is particularly tenacious.

scholarly journals Ambivalent sexism in adolescence: The relationship between family socialization styles and ambivalent sexism in adolescence

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-39
Author(s):  
Jorge-Manuel Dueñas ◽  
Bernardina Santiago-Larrieu ◽  
Gisela Ferre-Rey ◽  
Sandra Cosi
Keyword(s):  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Family Socialization ◽  
Sexist Attitudes ◽  
The Family ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
State Schools

The aims of the present study are to identify the role that family socialisation styles play in ambivalent sexism and whether differences in sexism can be attributed to gender. We used a sample of 207 adolescents (56.5% girls), all of whom attended state schools and were aged between 14 and 18 years old, with an average age of 16.2 (SD = 1.7). The instruments used were the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) consisting of two factors – hostile sexism and benevolent sexism – and the Family Socialization Scale (SOC-30) made up of four subscales: support, punishment/coercion, overprotection/control, and reprobation. The results show that boys presented higher levels of ambivalent sexism than girls and the reprobation of adolescents was the family socialization type that had the strongest associations with ambivalent sexism scales in both genders. The data suggest that family socialisation dynamics play an important role in the acquisition and retention of sexist attitudes.

Ambivalent Sexism and Attitudes Toward Wife Abuse in Turkey and Brazil

2002 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Glick ◽  
Nuray Sakalli-Ugurlu ◽  
Maria Cristina Ferreira ◽  
Marcos Aguiar de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Wife Abuse ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Cultural Validity ◽  
Unique Variance

Men and women in Turkey and Brazil completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (Glick & Fiske, 1996) and measures of attitudes about wife abuse. In both nations hostile sexism (HS) and benevolent sexism (BS) positively correlated with attitudes that legitimize abuse. Regression analyses revealed that HS accounted for unique variance, but BS (once HS was controlled) was unrelated to wife abuse attitudes. These results: (a) add to the evidence for the cross-cultural validity of ambivalent sexism, (b) suggest that HS supports the justification of violence against wives, and (c) imply that the ostensible protectiveness of BS is contingent, failing to shield women from abuse if they are deemed to have challenged a husband's authority or violated conventional gender roles.

Dynamics Within Intimate Relationships and the Causes, Consequences, and Functions of Sexist Attitudes

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Hammond ◽  
Nickola C. Overall
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Relationship Problems ◽  
Sexist Attitudes ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Caring Relationship ◽  
Relationship Investment ◽  
The Relationship

Ambivalent sexism theory (Glick & Fiske, 1996) revolutionized understanding of sexist attitudes by revealing how attitudes expressing that women are incompetent and seek power over men (hostile sexism) are accompanied by more benevolent attitudes expressing that men are fulfilled by cherishing and protecting women (benevolent sexism). In the current article, we demonstrate how recent research examining intimate relationship dynamics has advanced understanding of the causes, consequences, and functions of sexist attitudes. Men’s hostile sexism is associated with aggressive perceptions and behaviors within intimate relationships that impede the fulfillment of fundamental relational needs. Benevolent sexism functions to counterbalance these costs by facilitating caring relationship behavior that enhances men’s influence and satisfaction in relationships. The relationship security that benevolent sexism promises to women is also a key reason why women endorse benevolent sexism. Yet men’s and women’s endorsement of benevolent sexism has benefits for men, such as greater relationship-oriented support of men’s goals, but imposes costs for women, such as by promoting dependence-oriented support that undermines women’s competence. Moreover, the relationship investment that benevolent sexism fosters in women makes women more vulnerable to dissatisfaction when relationship problems arise. These dynamics demonstrate how seemingly positive outcomes in intimate relationships may be a barrier to gender equality.

The velvet glove: Benevolent sexism in President Trump’s tweets

2020 ◽  
pp. 135050682091359
Author(s):  
Giuseppina Scotto di Carlo
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Linguistic Strategies ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Sexist Beliefs ◽  
Two Sides

The present article is part of a preliminary study concerning the discursive manifestations of US President Trump’s sexist beliefs. While many studies have focused on Trump’s usage of hostile sexism, this work examines the linguistic strategies utilised by Trump to convey benevolent sexism, a form of discrimination based on the idea that women are weak and need to be protected, that they should respect traditional male-centric gender roles, and that they should be idolised by men. Drawing upon Fiske and Glick’s Ambivalent Sexism Theory, the study will analyse a corpus of all the positive tweets addressing women tweeted by Trump since the beginning of his 2016 campaign (July 2015). The study sheds a light on how President Trump’s usage of hostile and benevolent sexism are actually two sides of the same coin: they both confirm the idea of women as an inferior sex.

Negative consequence of benevolent sexism on efficacy and performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Jones ◽  
Kathy Stewart ◽  
Eden King ◽  
Whitney Botsford Morgan ◽  
Veronica Gilrane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Form ◽  
Women In The Workplace ◽  
Sexist Attitudes ◽  
And Performance

Purpose – Previous research demonstrates the damaging effects of hostile sexism enacted towards women in the workplace. However, there is less research on the consequences of benevolent sexism: a subjectively positive form of discrimination. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from ambivalent sexism theory, the authors first utilized an experimental methodology in which benevolent and hostile sexism were interpersonally enacted toward both male and female participants. Findings – Results suggested that benevolent sexism negatively impacted participants' self-efficacy in mixed-sex interactions. Extending these findings, the results of a second field study clarify self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between benevolent sexism and workplace performance. Originality/value – Finally, benevolent sexism contributed incremental prediction of performance above and beyond incivility, further illustrating the detrimental consequences of benevolently sexist attitudes towards women in the workplace.

scholarly journals Associations between Dark Triad and Ambivalent Sexism: Sex Differences among Adolescents

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 7754
Author(s):  
María Patricia Navas ◽  
Lorena Maneiro ◽  
Olalla Cutrín ◽  
Jose Antonio Gómez-Fraguela ◽  
Jorge Sobral
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Dark Triad ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Latent Factor ◽  
Sexist Attitudes

The Dark Triad traits (DT; Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) have been repeatedly labeled as a constellation of traits that are characterized by a dishonest and self-focused approach to interpersonal relations. Personality psychologists suggest that these traits make some people more susceptible than others to intergroup bias, threat, and aggression. Thus, in order to delve into a psychological profile prone to accepting and justifying sexist attitudes, the aims of the current study were to analyze the presence of DT and sexist attitudes in a sample of 367 adolescents (Mage = 15.12, SD = 0.88; 50.1% males), find out the relationships that DT has with both hostile and benevolent sexism, and analyze the relevant differences between sexes in these relationships. The results indicated higher scores in DT and Ambivalent sexism for males. The correlations of Machiavellianism with psychopathy, and psychopathy with narcissism revealed significantly higher associations in males than females. The structural equation modeling of the bifactorial model, characterized by a global latent factor that encompasses the common characteristics of DT—along with the three specific factors of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism—showed that the global latent factor of DT was related to both hostile and benevolent sexism in males and females. Singularly, narcissism was related to benevolent sexism in males, and psychopathy was related to hostile sexism in females. Finally, this research discusses the implications of these results on the implementation of positive models of interpersonal relationships in adolescence towards dating violence prevention.

Profaning Jewish Mores in Chochana Boukhobza's Un été à Jérusalem

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Nancy M. Arenberg
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
The City ◽  
Traditional Roles

As a transnational Israeli writer, Chochana Boukhobza delves into the complex problem of crossing borders in Un été à Jérusalem (1986), a text which focuses on the unnamed protagonist's trip from Paris to visit her family during the summer months in Jerusalem. Although the narrator had resided in Israel previously, she is forced to grapple with her ‘Otherness’ in Jerusalem, especially as a Jew originally from Tunisia. The narrator's crisis of exile is defined by her sense of disconnection to her family, the city, Israeli politics, and women's traditional roles. In this essay, particular emphasis will be placed on the protagonist's penchant for profaning Jewish cultural and religious practices, which is articulated through a series of corporeal transgressions. To launch this revolt against the patriarchal structure of the nation in Israel, the narrator rejects the submissive role assigned to Jewish-Tunisian women, and, in so doing, dismantles traditional gender roles.

The traditional sexual script and humor in courtship

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-218
Author(s):  
Elaina M. Ross ◽  
Jeffrey A. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Sexual Script ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Sex Influence ◽  
Potential Partner

AbstractTo account for sex differences in the production, receptivity, and preference for humor in potential mates during courtship, past research has often adopted an evolutionary approach. The present manuscript will attempt to integrate evolutionary explanations with proximal social and cultural influences using the traditional sexual script and ambivalent sexism theory. The results of both Study 1 (N=227) and Study 2 (N=424) suggest that trait masculinity is positively associated with humor production in courtship, while trait femininity is associated with humor receptivity. Study 1 indicated that the traditional flirting style was associated with less humor production by women, and Study 2 indicated that hostile sexism was related to a lower preference for a humor-producing potential partner by men. A sex difference in humor production in potential partners in Study 2 was no longer detectable once trait gender and hostile sexism was accounted for. Taken together, gender roles, over and above biological sex, influence one’s own humor use in courtship and preference for humor in potential partners.

scholarly journals Ambivalent sexism and relationship adjustment among young adult couples: An actor-partner interdependence model

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110055
Author(s):  
Mylène Lachance-Grzela ◽  
Bingyu Liu ◽  
Andréanne Charbonneau ◽  
Geneviève Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Benevolent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Relationship Adjustment ◽  
Actor Partner Interdependence Model

This study examined the associations between ambivalent sexism (i.e., hostile and benevolent sexism) and relationship adjustment in young adult couples by testing an actor-partner interdependence model. The sample was composed of 219 cohabiting heterosexual Canadian couples. The findings suggest that ambivalent sexism plays a role in young adults’ perceptions of the quality of their romantic relationship, but gender differences exist. Women and men who more strongly endorsed hostile sexism tended to report lower relationship adjustment. Women’s hostile sexism was also negatively related to their partners’ relationship adjustment, whereas their benevolent sexism was positively related to their own and their partners’ relationship adjustment. For their part, men’s ambivalent sexism was unrelated to their partners’ relationship adjustment and their benevolent sexism was also unrelated to their own relationship adjustment. The results are discussed in light of the insidious consequences that can accompany ambivalent sexism. Even though hostile sexism functions to protect men’s societal advantages, it comes with costs to their romantic relationships. In contrast, despite the rewards benevolent sexism can bring on the relational level, its endorsement may hinder the attainment of gender equality by encouraging women to invest in their relationship at the expense of independent achievements.

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