"I Am Not a Feminist, but...": College Women, Feminism, and Negative Experiences

Buschman, Joan K.; Lenart, Silvo

doi:10.2307/3791943

Cited by 62 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Despite extensive discussion of younger Americans turning away from the women's movement or viewing it as irrelevant (see Buschman and Lenart 1996;Keene 1991), younger men and women remain some of the movement's staunchest supporters, as seen in table A2. Women and men between the ages of 18 and 29 consistently rate the women's movement more positively than do older individuals of the same gender.…”

Section: Support For the Women's Movementsupporting

confidence: 65%

“…While American men and women rate feminists positively on the NES feeling thermometer, women rated feminists roughly 10 degrees cooler than they rated the movement as a whole in 1992 when the ANES included both groups in their feeling thermometer series; men rated feminists roughly 6-7 degrees cooler in the same study (table A1; similar findings are reported by Buschman and Lenart [1996]; Cook and Wilcox [1992]; Keene [1991]; Weisberg, Haynes, and Krosnick [1995]). When asked point blank to describe their feelings for feminists as favorable or unfavorable, more men and women report unfavorable feelings (table A8).…”

Section: Support For the Women's Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Polls—Trends

Huddy¹,

Neely²,

Lafay³

2000

Public Opinion Quarterly

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As we reflect on where we have been and where we are headed at the beginning of a new century, the massive changes that have occurred in women's roles in the United States and elsewhere over the last 3-4 decades emerge as perhaps one of the twentieth century's most enduring and basic legacies. A fundamental and profound shift in public expectations of women's roles at work and at home has been well documented (Public Perspective 1993;Simon and Landis 1989;Thornton, Alwin, and Camburn 1983). Despite minor misgivings over the fate of preschool children and the relative importance of a husband's and a wife's career, Americans seem generally sanguine about the broadening of women's roles from the home to the workplace and beyond.There is less consensus, however, on the need for a continued women's movement despite its acknowledged role in changing society's expectations about women over the last several decades (Sigel 1996). While the women's movement that emerged in the mid-1960s placed the spotlight on gender discrimination in the workplace, pay inequities, and unequal hiring practices, it also aroused opposition from women and men who were uneasy with changes in women's traditional roles as wives and mothers. Some of this uneasiness lingers in the present era, perhaps in somewhat different form, as pundits and social commentators question whether the women's movement has outlived its usefulness. The movement's contemporary detractors accuse it of ignoring women who place greater emphasis on a family than a career, failing to accommodate women of diverse backgrounds, and losing touch with leonie huddy, francis k. neely, and marilyn r. 1.A minor caution is necessary here concerning gender-of-interviewer effects. Our past research and that of others has demonstrated that questions on the women's movement are especially susceptible to gender-of-interviewer effects (Huddy et al. 1997;Kane and Macaulay 1993). Most of the survey data included in this review are based on telephone interviews that are typically collected by both male and female interviewers. But both the NES and GSS studies are based on face-to-face interviews that are typically conducted by women and may, thus, overstate support for the women's movement among both male and female respondents. at McMaster University Library on March 25, 2015 http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from at McMaster University Library on March 25, 2015 http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from 2. Comparisons between responses to questions about the meaning of feminists and the women's movement should be treated with caution since the data for feminists are based on a series of close-ended questions, while data for the women's movement derive from open-ended responses. at McMaster University Library on March 25, 2015 http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from Public InvolvementThis pattern of pervasive but weak movement support is further reinforced by relatively low levels of reported movement participation. Roughly 5-14 percent of women have joined an organizatio...

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Section: Support For the Women's Movementsupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Support For the Women's Movementmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Polls—Trends

Huddy¹,

Neely²,

Lafay³

2000

Public Opinion Quarterly

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“…Thus, novel feminine forms used in a gender context may be perceived as signaling feminism. This could be problematic, since even individuals who support gender equality often avoid calling themselves feminists, as reflected in utterances such as “I'm not a feminist but …” (Buschman and Lenart, 1996; Williams and Wittig, 1997; Burn et al, 2000). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capturing socially motivated linguistic change: how the use of gender-fair language affects support for social initiatives in Austria and Poland

et al. 2015

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Gender-fair language consists of the symmetric linguistic treatment of women and men instead of using masculine forms as generics. In this study, we examine how the use of gender-fair language affects readers' support for social initiatives in Poland and Austria. While gender-fair language is relatively novel in Poland, it is well established in Austria. This difference may lead to different perceptions of gender-fair usage in these speech communities. Two studies conducted in Poland investigate whether the evaluation of social initiatives (Study 1: quotas for women on election lists; Study 2: support for women students or students from countries troubled by war) is affected by how female proponents (lawyers, psychologists, sociologists, and academics) are referred to, with masculine forms (traditional) or with feminine forms (modern, gender-fair). Study 3 replicates Study 2 in Austria. Our results indicate that in Poland, gender-fair language has negative connotations and therefore, detrimental effects particularly when used in gender-related contexts. Conversely, in Austria, where gender-fair language has been implemented and used for some time, there are no such negative effects. This pattern of results may inform the discussion about formal policies regulating the use of gender-fair language.

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“…Although feminists deserve the lion's share of credit for advancing women's rights, college-aged adults do not identify with feminists (e.g., Aronson 2003;Buschman and Lenart 1996;Renzetti 1987;Williams and Wittig 1997), and attitudes toward them are surprisingly negative (Haddock and Zanna 1994;Renzetti 1987;Rudman and Fairchild 2007). Feminist stereotypes are also unflattering; feminists tend to be stigmatized as unattractive, sexually unappealing, and likely to be lesbians (Goldberg et al 1975;Rudman and Fairchild 2007;Swim et al 1999;Unger et al 1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

The Interpersonal Power of Feminism: Is Feminism Good for Romantic Relationships?

Rudman

Phelan

2007

Sex Roles

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Past research suggests that women and men alike perceive feminism and romance to be in conflict (Rudman and Fairchild, Psychol Women Q, 31:125-136, 2007). A survey of US undergraduates (N=242) and an online survey of older US adults (N=289) examined the accuracy of this perception. Using self-reported feminism and perceived partners' feminism as predictors of relationship health, results revealed that having a feminist partner was linked to healthier relationships for women. Additionally, men with feminist partners reported greater relationship stability and sexual satisfaction in the online survey. Finally, there was no support for negative feminist stereotypes (i.e., that feminists are single, lesbians, or unattractive). In concert, the findings reveal that beliefs regarding the incompatibility of feminism and romance are inaccurate.

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"I Am Not a Feminist, but...": College Women, Feminism, and Negative Experiences

Cited by 62 publications

References 19 publications

The Polls—Trends

The Polls—Trends

Capturing socially motivated linguistic change: how the use of gender-fair language affects support for social initiatives in Austria and Poland

The Interpersonal Power of Feminism: Is Feminism Good for Romantic Relationships?

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