Changes in Attitudes and Self-Confidence in the Women's and Gender Studies Classroom: The Role of Teacher Alliance and Student Cohesion

Previous research provides evidence that women's and gender studies (WGS) classes are successful in helping students to develop more egalitarian gender role attitudes, appreciation and acceptance of diversity, awareness of sexism and other social inequities, and agentic self-confidence in both women and men. The mechanisms by which these changes take place were the focus of this study. WGS students (n = 328) from 23 classes on four college campuses participated. Results indicated that (a) student readiness (positive WGS class expectations and capacity for positive interpersonal relationships) predicted the development of alliances with teachers and cohesion with classmates, (b) alliance and cohesion were associated with changes toward more egalitarian attitudes, (c) cohesion was associated with increases in confidence, and (d) links between student readiness and change were mediated by alliance and cohesion developed within the WGS classroom.     

From Thought to Deed: Understanding Abortion Activism1

Many people have opinions on abortion, but relatively few contribute a substantial amount of time and effort to actively support their causes. This study investigated factors associated with level of activism in the abortion movement. The issue was addressed from a cost‐benefit framework based on theory and research from other social movements. In a sample drawn from pro‐life and pro‐choice organizations, activism was related to attitude salience, attitude polarization, social ties to abortion activists, and agentic self‐esteem. Potential constraint variables (e.g., employment) and social approval from important others showed little relation to activism. Factors affecting activism were similar for pro‐choice and pro‐life activists. Findings were generally consistent with studies of political activism for other social causes.     

When Situations Call for Instrumentality and Expressiveness: Resource Appraisal,Coping Strategy Choice,and Adjustment

The coping model of Holahan and Moos (1987) served as a framework for examining associations among resource appraisals, gender-role coping strategy choices, and adjustment in situations having salient social expectations for expressiveness and instrumentality (i.e., dual-expectation situations). Participants were 70 male and 124 female undergraduates. Appraisals of setting-specific social support availability and self-esteem were related to coping strategy choices. Androgynous copers had higher social support appraisals than instrumental or indeterminate copers and higher self-appraisals than indeterminate copers. Androgynous coping was (a) positively related to well-being at all levels of resource appraisals and (b) negatively related to stress at moderate and low levels of social support and all levels of self-esteem.

     

GENDER DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES IN SELF-CONCEPT WITHIN EVERYDAY LIFE CONTEXTS

A stereotypic pattern of gender differences has been found in previous self-concept research. Men have tended to rate themselves higher on self- concept measures of giftedness, power, and invulnerability, and women have rated themselves higher on self-concept measures of likability and morality. This study tested the validity of these gender differences for two natural life contexts-family and work-from the perspective of target persons and others in the family and work contexts who knew the target persons well. Overall, the gender stereotypic pattern of self-concept scores was evident in work and family self-ratings and observer-inferred ratings. Gender accounted for 3–7% of the variance of the five self- concept dimensions for which a significant gender difference was found.     

THE WOMEN'S STUDIES EXPERIENCE

The impact of women's studies courses on students'feminist activism and related behaviors was assessed through quantitative and qualitative methods. At pretesting, women's studies students (10 classes: 161 women and 18 men) did not report significantly more activism than nonwomen's studies students taught by women's studies faculty (9 classes: 73 women and 48 men) or nonwomen's studies students taught by nonwomen's studies faculty (12 classes: 107 women and 47 men). At posttesting, women's studies students, relative to the comparison students, reported more activism during the semester of evaluation, stronger intentions to engage in future feminist activism, and more important and more positive course-related influences on their personal lives ( p < .0001).     

Gender and the Choice of a Science Career: The Impact of Social Support and Possible Selves

This study examined the relationships among perceived social support, beliefs about how one would fare in a science career, and perceptions and choice of a career in science. Participants were 48 men and 33 women from the Midwestern United States who had been identified as gifted in mathematics and science and participated in a high school science enrichment program. They ranged in age from 24 to 28?years old, and the sample was predominantly White (83.3%). Participants completed an online measure approximately 10?years after the program ended examining their sources of support and beliefs about the self as a scientist to see how these variables influence perceptions of a science career and actual career. We expected that the relationship between perceived support from people and current job held would be mediated by participants’ beliefs about their personal life as a scientist in the future. Similarly, we expected that the relationship between a perceived supportive environment and having a science career would be mediated by participants’ beliefs about their career as a scientist in the future. Findings indicated that social support contributed directly to men’s and women’s ability to envision themselves in a future science career, which, in turn, predicted their interest in and motivation for a science career. No significant gender differences were found in the predictors of men’s and women’s perceptions and choice of a science career. Implications for recruitment of students into scientific majors and careers are discussed.     

SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON CAMPUS

Attitudes about sexual harassment were assessed in a group of 224 undergraduate students. Participants responded to scenarios in which a male professor made inappropriate sexual advances to a female student. Participants then completed rating scales and questions concerning attributions of blame for harassment, educational and emotional effects, and strategies for coping with harassment. The students were divided into high and low groups on the basis of their scores on the Performance Self-Esteem Scale (PSES) and Attitudes toward Women Scale (AWS). The subject groups most tolerant of harassment and least aware of potential harm to its victims were high self-esteem women with traditional sex-role attitudes. Participants also provided information as to their own harassment experiences. Women's reported reactions to actual harassment were consistent with their responses to scenarios. Results are discussed in the context of prevailing sex-role standards.     

Evaluating Sources of Ego-Threatening Feedback: Self-Esteem and Narcissism Effects

High self-esteem individuals in previous studies have tended to deny the credibility of negative evaluators. The present research examined possible explanations for this finding and compared the effects of self-esteem and narcissism on evaluations of negative feedback sources. Following bogus negative feedback, self-esteem predicted negative evaluations of a nonperson feedback source and positive affect, as expected from consistency theory; narcissism predicted negative evaluations of a person feedback source and hostile affect, as expected from threat-derogation and narcissism theory. Results indicate the importance of distinguishing between healthy and defensive self-esteem in understanding responses to negative feedback.