The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

72 Chapter 3

Benevolent sexism provides a powerful jus-

tification for the high-status group to exploit

the low-status group. According to Jackman

(1994), “the agenda for dominant groups is to

create an ideological cocoon whereby they can

define their discriminatory actions as benevo-

lent” (p. 14). That is, dominant groups need

to develop an ideology that justifies their su-

perior position and is supported by the sub-

ordinant group. Benevolent sexism fills this

prescription. Benevolent sexism justifies the

behavior of the high-status group by casting

it in positive terms that the low-status group

can endorse: Women need men to take care

of them. According to Jackman (1994), be-

nevolence is more effective than hostility in

exploiting someone. In addition, benevo-

lent sexism among women seems to lead to

greater endorsement of hostile sexism over

women shown in Table 3.1. By contrast, be-

nevolent sexism is associated with right-wing

authoritarianism—preserving social cohe-

sion and maintaining social order. Thus,

men who score high on benevolent sexism

are more concerned with maintaining the

traditional male and female roles, which

include men as protectors of women.

Compared to hostile sexism, the items

on the benevolent sexism scale are more palat-

able to people. People who endorse benevolent

sexism are viewed more favorably than those

who endorse hostile sexism and are less likely

to be viewed as sexist(Barreto & Ellemers,

2005). However, the negative implications of

benevolent sexism are clear. Benevolent sex-

ism is a harmful attitude because it is rooted

in the belief that women are less competent

than men and are in need of men’s help.

TABLE 3.1 SAMPLE ITEMS FROM AMBIVALENT SEXISM INVENTORY

Hostile Sexism

Patriarchy

Women seek to gain power by getting control over men.

Many women are actually seeking special favors, such as hiring policies that favor them over

men, under the guise of asking for “equality.”

Gender Differentiation

Women are too easily offended.

Sexual Reproduction

Many women get a kick out of teasing men by seeming sexually available and then refusing

male advances.

Benevolent Sexism

Patriarchy

In a disaster, women ought to be rescued before men.

Women should be cherished and protected by men.

Gender Differentiation

Many women have a quality of purity that few men possess.

Women, as compared to men, tend to have a more refined sense of culture and good taste.

Sexual Reproduction

Every man ought to have a woman he adores.

No matter how accomplished he is, a man is not truly complete as a person unless he has the

love of a woman.

Source: Glick and Fiske (1996, 2001).

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