Predicting Feminist Identity: Associations Between Gender-Traditional Attitudes, Feminist Stereotyping, and Ethnicity

Perceptions of feminist beliefs influence ratings of warmth and competence

“…The integrative data analysis strategy provides us with sufficient statistical power to conduct exploratory analyses of these results with participant gender as an additional between-subjects factor. Although there were not any specific a priori predictions about the role of participant gender given the clear implications for gender relations and gender inequality, it could be that feminists are seen as more warm and competent by women because they have a stronger interest in a reversal or dissolution of traditional gender roles than men (Robnett et al, 2012). However, there is also evidence that there are no participant gender differences in the evaluation in a plethora of psychological traits (Hyde, 2005).…”

“…In this paper we made the assumption that participants understood who feminists are regardless of their definition of feminism. One may consider this a limitation of the research, as some participants might have conflated feminist with being a woman (Houvouras & Carter, 2008), being an activist (Houvouras & Carter, 2008; Suter & Toller, 2006), or with negative stereotypes (Houvouras & Carter, 2008; Jenen et al, 2009; Robnett et al, 2012; Rudman & Fairchild, 2007). It could also be that because the egalitarian notion that men and women should be equals has become generally accepted and is now part of the mainstream culture (McCabe, 2005) and because it is generally believed that society is steadily drifting toward such equality, making it superfluous to push the issue of gender equality (Edley & Wetherell, 2001), identifying as a feminist is considered to be symptomatic of other, more radical beliefs (McCabe, 2005).…”

“…These higher ratings might be attributed to in-group favoritism (Brewer, 1979; Marques & Yzerbyt, 1988; Tajfel, Billig, Bundy, & Flament, 1971). Alternatively, it could be that feminists are seen as more warm and competent by female participants because women have a stronger interest in a reversal or dissolution of traditional gender roles than men (Robnett et al, 2012) and therefore in fact really see feminists as more warm and competent.…”

“…Many women are reluctant to self-identify as feminist although they agree with at least some tenets of feminism (Robnett, Anderson, & Hunter, 2012). And, for some women, the negative connotations of the feminist stereotype are especially important because they fear being negatively evaluated (Burn, Aboud, & Moyles, 2000; Charter, 2015; McCabe, 2005; Suter & Toller, 2006).…”

Adolescent Girls' Cognitive Appraisals of Coping Responses to Sexual Harassment

“…Traditional gender‐role patterns may be more common in Latin American than in European American families (Raffaelli & Ontai, ; Villarruel, ). Further, many Latina girls and young women have been shown to endorse traditional gender roles—perhaps reflective of a cultural ideal of marianismo (traditional feminine virtues)—and to reject notions of feminism that may be viewed as disparaging boys and men (Manago, Brown, & Leaper, ; Robnett, Anderson, & Hunter, ). Thus, because they may tolerate or accept traditional gender roles, Latina adolescents may be less likely than European American girls to endorse active coping responses to sexual harassment.…”