Polyculturalism and Sexist Attitudes

Abstract

In cultural contexts in which sexist beliefs are considered traditional, shifts toward gender equality represent an example of cultural change. Polyculturalism is defined as the belief that cultures change constantly through different racial and ethnic groups’ interactions, influences, and exchanges with each other and, therefore, are dynamic and socially constructed rather than static. Thus, polyculturalism may involve openness to cultural change and, thereby, would be expected to be associated with lower sexist attitudes. Four studies (both cross-sectional and longitudinal) with undergraduate and community samples in the Northeastern United States tested whether endorsement of polyculturalism is inversely associated with sexism, above and beyond potentially confounding belief systems. Across studies, for both women and men, endorsement of polyculturalism was associated with lower sexist attitudes for two classes of sexism measures: (a) attitudes toward the rights and roles of women and (b) ambivalent sexist attitudes toward women. Associations remained significant while controlling for potentially confounding variables (colorblindness, conservatism, egalitarianism, gender and ethnic identity, gender and race essentialism, multiculturalism, right-wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation). Greater openness to criticizing one’s culture mediated polyculturalism’s association with attitudes toward the rights and roles of women but not with ambivalent sexist attitudes toward women. Studying polyculturalism may provide unique insights into sexism, and more work is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.

Thinking about Mutual Influences and Connections across Cultures Relates to More Positive Intergroup Attitudes: An Examination of Polyculturalism

“…Building on our reasoning for and findings supporting the hypothesis that polyculturalism is associated with lower sexual prejudice, we are currently investigating the association between polyculturalism and sexism (Rosenthal, Levy, & Militano, ). Because endorsement of polyculturalism means focusing on the ways that different racial and ethnic groups have interacted and influenced each other's cultures and therefore cultures are constantly changing, we hypothesized that greater endorsement of polyculturalism would be associated with less sexist attitudes, mediated by greater openness to criticizing elements of one's culture that may promote inequality between men and women.…”

“…Across four studies, we have thus far found that greater endorsement of polyculturalism is significantly associated with less sexist attitudes, even while controlling for other important and relevant variables, including colorblindness, conservatism, essentialism (both gender and race), gender, gender identification, multiculturalism, race/ethnicity, racial/ethnic identification, right‐wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation. Results also suggest that greater openness to criticizing one's own culture partially mediates the association between greater endorsement of polyculturalism and less sexist attitudes (Rosenthal et al, forthcoming). Moreover, results from a longitudinal study thus far indicate that greater endorsement of polyculturalism at the very beginning of college predicts less sexism about one year later among diverse undergraduates (Rosenthal et al, forthcoming).…”

“…Results also suggest that greater openness to criticizing one's own culture partially mediates the association between greater endorsement of polyculturalism and less sexist attitudes (Rosenthal et al, forthcoming). Moreover, results from a longitudinal study thus far indicate that greater endorsement of polyculturalism at the very beginning of college predicts less sexism about one year later among diverse undergraduates (Rosenthal et al, forthcoming).…”

“…As mentioned previously, we are currently conducting longitudinal work in which we are assessing endorsement of polyculturalism and intergroup attitudes at multiple time periods, and we thus far have evidence that greater endorsement of polyculturalism at the very beginning of college predicts less sexism about one year later among diverse undergraduates (Rosenthal et al, forthcoming). This work can potentially help to understand the direction of effects over time (between polyculturalism and intergroup attitudes) and can also help us to better understand the processes or mechanisms involved (e.g., comfort with interacting with diverse others) in the relationship between polyculturalism and intergroup attitudes over time.…”

Polyculturalism: Viewing Cultures as Dynamically Connected and its Implications for Intercultural Attitudes in Colombia

“…Further, among undergraduates at a diverse university, polyculturalism before starting college prospectively predicted increases in positive intergroup contact and friendship from first to second year of college (Rosenthal & Levy, 2016), supporting the connection between polyculturalism and openness to cross-cultural contact and influence. Other research in the us has found polyculturalism to be associated with less sexism (Rosenthal, Levy, & Militano, 2014) and sexual prejudice -i.e., prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women (Rosenthal, Levy, & Moss, 2012)-, as well as with lower intergroup anxiety and greater belonging among undergraduates at a diverse university (Rosenthal, Levy, London, & Lewis, 2016).…”