Ambivalent sexism,attitudes towards menstruation and menstrual cycle‐related symptoms

The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ambivalent sexism and beliefs and attitudes towards menstruation, and, in turn, to study the influence of these variables on menstrual cycle‐related symptoms. One hundred and six Mexican women completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, the Beliefs about and Attitudes toward Menstruation Questionnaire and the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. The higher scores on benevolent sexism were associated with the most positive attitudes towards menstruation and also with the belief that a menstruating woman should or should not do some activities and that menstruation keeps women from their daily activities. The higher scores on hostile sexism were associated with rejection of menstruation as well as with feelings of embarrassment about it. Beliefs about and attitudes towards menstruation predicted menstrual cycle‐related symptoms related to negative affect, impaired concentration and behavioural changes, but did not predict somatic symptoms. These results will be useful to health professionals and advocates who want to change the negative expectations and stereotypes of premenstrual and menstrual women and reduce the sexism and negative attitudes towards women that are evident in Mexican culture.     

Genetic engineering and contemporary democratic theory

Genetic engineering is discussed in relation to contemporary theories of individual rights, such as natural rights and liberalism, and theories of societal good, such as utilitarianism and the public interest. The social responsibility to future generations is explored. Different rationales for justifying limitations on reproductive rights are presented and discussed.     

The Role of Mental Rigidity and Alcohol Consumption Interaction on Intimate Partner Violence: A Spanish Study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has often been linked to alcohol consumption. Alcohol abuse affects cognitive processing through its effects on the prefrontal cortex, generating influence in mental rigidity (MR). This study analyzes the influence of MR as a predisposing factor to violence. The sample consisted of 136 men with a history of IPV. Participants with high MR had lower empathy and perception of the severity of IPV, and higher alcohol consumption and hostile sexism than participants with lower MR. These results should be considered in the development of prevention and intervention programs with the goal of increasing their effectiveness.     

Relationships between Ambivalent Sexism and the Five Moral Foundations in Domestic Violence: Is it a Matter of Fairness and Authority?

Ambivalent sexism has served to justify and maintain patriarchy and traditional gender roles characterized by inequality and male domination in the intimate partner violence (IPV) literature; according to the Moral Foundation Theory (MFT) there are two specific moral foundations related to inequality and domination: fairness and authority. We connect these separate fields arguing that sexist attitudes can be related to specific patterns of endorsement of the five moral foundations. Our hypothesis is that ambivalent sexism in men convicted of violence against the partner may be rooted in at least these two moral foundations, and that at least these two moral foundations may also serve to predict intention to change the violent behavior against the partner. Controlling for political orientation, the results show that benevolent sexism correlates positively with the authority foundation; and hostile sexism correlates negatively with the fairness foundation. Both foundations contribute to explaining the two dimensions of ambivalent sexism (benevolent and hostile) and only the fairness foundation predict intention to change the violent behavior against the partner. New treatment approaches could be designed to increase moral concerns about fairness and to reduce moral concerns about authority in people who, at least, have once used violence against their partners.     

The role of violence between parents on the sexism and well-being of their children / El papel de la violencia entre progenitores en el sexismo y bienestar de los hijos e hijas

The main purpose of this study was to analyse whether children’s exposure to marital violence was associated with higher levels of hostile or benevolent sexism and with lower psychological well-being when they are adults. The sample consisted of 1,378 university students of both sexes aged between 17 and 30. As was expected, marital violence and ambivalent sexism inversely predicted children’s psychological well-being. Children’s exposure to marital violence was a significant predictor of ambivalent sexism, although its low predictive value is discussed.     

Views of individuals with gender dysphoria and disorders of sex development on sexism: An Iranian study

ABSTRACT

Background: Ambivalent sexist attitudes have been previously measured regarding several factors such as sex, race and religion.

Aims: In this study, we evaluated the ambivalent sexism among Iranian individuals with gender dysphoria with or without disorders of sex development (DSD).

Methods: Attitudes towards gender stereotypes were investigated using Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) among three groups of participants with varying psychosexual outcome. These groups were transpeople (N = 152, M = 25.44, SD = 6.52), people with DSD (N = 40, M = 21.2, SD = 2.24) and cisgender people (N = 195, M = 25.9, SD = 5.59).

Results: Significant differences in both types of sexism, benevolent (F (2,383) = 134.217, p < .001) and hostile (F (2,383) = 93.765, p < .001), were found between transpeople, participants with DSD and controls. While scores of transpeople and people with DSD were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.191, Cohen's d = 0.38), both groups were significantly more sexist than controls on hostile sexism (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.4 and 1.1). In benevolent sexism, there were significant differences between the scores of the trans, DSD and control groups, with individuals with DSD being most sexist followed by transgender people (p < 0.001) and controls showing the least degree of sexism (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Using the Gender Self-Socialization Model (GSSM), we propose that increased scores of ASI among individuals whose gender identity is incongruent with all or some of their physical features are attempts to attain gender typicality. This may lead to a higher degree of sexist beliefs than when all sex and gender characteristics are congruent.     

“蜜糖裹砒霜”：善意性别偏见对女性生涯发展的影响

善意性别偏见因持有者的主观好意往往难以被识别为偏见, 但会通过限制女性的角色形象和将其置于弱者地位从而巩固性别不平等的状况。近年来大量实证研究发现, 善意性别偏见从家庭教育、婚恋角色分工和职场竞争等方面挤压女性的生涯发展空间; 相比来自他人态度的直接作用, 这些消极影响更多通过女性对善意性别偏见的自我内化来实现。针对这一作用机制, 研究者们从女性感知和应对善意性别偏见的个体心理层面提出了多种理论解释。我们认为, 从女性主义心理学视角审视善意性别偏见的相关研究, 如何秉持研究立场的客观性和价值观的中立性是值得反思的问题; 女性主义心理学的最新理论发展也对性别偏见的研究趋势具有重要启示。     

Celebrating Women,Addressing the Wounds

A consultation commemorating the 20th anniversary of the culmination of the Ecumenical Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with Women took place in Kingston, Jamaica, in October 2018 to reflect on the achievements and challenges in building a just community of all people in church and society, and to strengthen ecumenical collaboration in reading the signs of the times. The Decade was launched in 1988, following a decision of the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC). It was “addressed to churches and to women at the local level to empower women to challenge structures and to respond to the issues in the society around them” and focused on “the situation of women in the churches as well as the churches’ participation in improving the conditions for women in society.” It concluded in December 1998 with a festival held in Harare, Zimbabwe, immediately before the WCC’s 8th Assembly. The global consultation in October 2018, hosted by the Jamaica Council of Churches, gathered intergenerational women and men from WCC member churches and their theological institutions and ecumenical partners. Below we document several of the contributions at the Jamaica consultation as well as the report of the event.     

The Rights of Man: Libertarian Concern for Men's,But Not Women's,Reproductive Autonomy

Libertarianism enshrines individual autonomy as its central political principle, but it has been criticized for applying this principle selectively. Reproductive decisions can stress the concept of individual autonomy by placing into conflict the claimed rights of each biological parent to choose. Two studies (N₁ = 296; N₂ = 580) show that among U.S. participants, libertarianism is associated with opposition to women's reproductive autonomy and support for men's. Libertarianism was associated with opposition to abortion rights and support for men's right both to prevent women from having abortions (male veto) and to withdraw financial support for a child when women refuse to terminate the pregnancy (financial abortion). Adjusting for the association between libertarianism and conservatism, only the relationship with opposition to abortion rights was rendered nonsignificant. Mediation analyses suggest that hostile sexism may account for libertarians' selective support for men's and not women's reproductive autonomy.