Sex Roles最新文献

Believing that differences between women and men should be recognized and valued—that is, endorsing gender identity awareness—is a common way of approaching gender diversity, including efforts to promote equity. However, such approaches can also reinforce stereotypes and justify existing inequalities, particularly when they reflect essentialist attributions for gender differences (Martin, 2023). To the extent that an identity awareness approach to managing gender diversity serves a system-justifying function, it should be associated with rejecting efforts focused on promoting women in the gender hierarchy, such as promoting women into leadership positions. Across five studies (one pre-registered; N = 1,421), we found that stronger beliefs in the fairness of the gender system predicted greater endorsement of gender identity awareness. Further, whether those who endorsed gender identity awareness supported or opposed gender-aware policies depended on the policy’s implications for the gender hierarchy: gender identity awareness predicted opposition to hierarchy-challenging policies and support for policies that reinforce traditional gender relations. These associations were driven in part by the endorsement of gender essentialism and rejection of opportunity attributions for gender differences. Finally, we provide preliminary experimental evidence suggesting that gender identity awareness functions as a motivated belief. This research offers insights into how gender identity awareness can undermine efforts to promote women in leadership.

Using a scenario approach, two studies (total N = 400) investigate how straight cis people would react if they got flirtatious advances from an other-gender trans versus cis person (Study 1) and if their romantic partner came out as trans (Study 2). Both studies focus on gender differences and take participants’ level of general transphobia into account. Study 1 showed that, compared to women, men reported less positive affect, more negative affect, and more avoidance behavior when getting advances from an other-gender trans versus cis person. Study 2 showed that, compared to women, men reacted with less acceptance, more rejection, and less willingness to maintain the relationship with a trans partner. Mediation analyses verified that gender differences in both studies were mediated by general transphobia. That is, men reacted more negatively to trans dating partners and trans romantic partners because of their higher levels of transphobia. In all analyses, participants’ current relationship status was controlled for. The discussion centers on gender and transphobia as relevant factors in trans dating and relationship contexts.

This study investigated how one’s gender, life goals, and self-stereotyping influence career interests in Germany, Nigeria, and Turkey. We examined agency and communion traits, as well as future goals related to status and family, to explore how gendered self-perceptions and life goals are associated with career interests among emerging adults (18–25 years) and adults under the age of 35 (25–34 years). In Study 1, we analysed gender differences in self-stereotyping and gendered career interests across the three countries. Results showed no gender differences in agency in any country. In Germany, women rated themselves higher on communal than men. Men in Germany and Turkey reported greater interest in male-typed careers, but no gender differences emerged for female-typed career interests in any country. Study 2, extended these findings by testing mediation models with future goals and self-stereotyping as parallel mediators between gender and career interests. Mediation pathways differed by country. The indirect effect of communion and family goals was significant for female-typed career interests in Nigeria and Turkey. Agency and status goals indirectly influenced the relationship between gender and male-typed career interests in Turkey. These findings suggest that social expectations and cultural norms significantly influence career decisions. Implications for practitioners and policymakers, highlight cultural variation in gendered career interest pathways. Supporting egalitarian self-concepts in Germany, addressing traditional gender norms in Turkey, and considering both cultural expectations and socio-economic constraints in Nigeria to promote gender-equitable career choices.

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in a landmark decision that reversed decades of legal precedent for abortion access at the national level, instead returning decisions about reproductive autonomy to individual states. This decision both reflects and produces abortion stigma, which has been linked to harmful psychosocial outcomes among abortion recipients. In a sample of 269 primarily White, heterosexual, cisgender women, this study sought to examine the relation between abortion stigma and psychological outcomes through abortion identity centrality. Additionally, we explored the role of two potential stigma-management strategies in these relations—abortion history disclosure and reproductive justice advocacy. Results indicated that abortion stigma was related to greater levels of distress and lower psychological well-being. The relation between abortion stigma and psychological well-being through abortion identity centrality was non-significant at high levels of reproductive justice advocacy, primarily due to advocacy’s buffering role in the relation between abortion identity centrality and psychological well-being. Furthermore, abortion stigma was significantly negatively related to psychological well-being at moderate to higher levels of disclosure. Mental health providers are encouraged to consider the roles of abortion stigma on the mental health of those who have experienced abortion, while also considering potential stigma-management strategies.

Men’s gender roles have changed dramatically over the past few decades. We examined whether the evaluation of this discontinuity in men’s gender roles predicts cis men's attitudes toward gender equality, and whether nostalgic reverie for traditional gender relations mediates this association. Support was found for our hypothesized mediation model across three studies (and an internal meta-analysis of the main effects) conducted in two different countries (United Kingdom and United States): one correlational (N = 333) and two experimental (Ns = 368 and 432, respectively). Specifically, when discontinuity in men’s gender roles (measured or manipulated) was perceived to be negative relative to positive, men expressed greater nostalgia for traditional gender relations, which reduced support for gender equality. Results not only address a gap in understanding the factors that shape men’s attitudes towards gender equality but also inform the development of interventions that promote gender equality and challenge traditional gender roles and gender stereotypes.

The objective of this study was to examine the perspectives and culturally embedded experiences associated with the stigma of women consuming alcohol in Italy. A total of 80 Italian women (aged 18–28) with varying drinking profiles were selected to participate in focus group interviews. The interviews were subjected to a thematic analysis in accordance with the social process of stigma as delineated by Link and Phelan (2001). The findings revealed the pervasiveness of gendered social expectations regarding alcohol consumption, which are deeply embedded in broader societal relations between men and women. These relations are typified by the presence of double standards, power inequalities, and patriarchal narratives. Those who deviate from the social expectation of moderate drinking are at risk of being described as a deviant subgroup, separated from the mainstream, labeled using derogatory terms, objectified, and stereotyped as sexually promiscuous, unintelligent, and unfeminine. In conclusion, their moral character is called into question, and they face social disapproval and exclusion. Furthermore, they are more readily held responsible for experiencing sexual violence when drunk (status loss/discrimination). The findings can inform the development of stigma-informed alcohol prevention interventions and policies in countries that share similar collective gender expectations about alcohol use.

This study describes the lived experiences of Indigenous mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on caregiving strategies, resilience, and leadership within their families and communities while navigating systemic gendered and racial inequalities. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified long-standing structural inequities, disproportionately impacting Indigenous communities. As primary caregivers and cultural stewards, Indigenous mothers faced intensified burdens, including economic precarity, expanded domestic labor, and systemic exclusions. Their caregiving, however, functioned as a site of resistance, reinforcing intergenerational survivance and asserting Indigenous sovereignty through relational care. A total of 31 critical ethnographic interviews were conducted with Indigenous mothers following an Indigenous research framework. Interviews explored survival strategies, power dynamics, and responsibilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergent themes included prioritizing survival needs, navigating institutional barriers, and exercising cultural resilience in caregiving. Despite increased family community and sociopolitical stressors, Indigenous mothers demonstrated adaptability, leadership, and collective strength. Indigenous mothers demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness in sustaining their families and communities amid the COVID-19 crisis. Their experiences underscore the need for culturally responsive interventions and policies that recognize and support Indigenous mothering as a foundation for community well-being. Findings highlight the urgency of policy reforms, targeted resource allocation, and culturally affirming support systems that empower Indigenous mothers as leaders and caregivers. Investing in their well-being strengthens entire communities.