When Is Sexism Seen As Sexist? Perceptions of Hostile and Benevolent Sexism by Perpetrator Gender

Abstract

Although society has made some progression toward gender equality over the years, the mechanisms of sexism have evolved alongside it. While overt forms of gender discrimination have become increasingly less socially acceptable, sexist ideology remains a pervasive undercurrent to society and has developed into subtler and more complex forms. In the face of gender-based discrimination, a key part of disrupting harmful cultural narratives is learning how to recognize discriminatory behavior and articulate it. To do this, we must first tackle the influences that create blind spots in sexism perception. The present study examined factors that may influence sexism detection, in particular, perpetrator gender and sexism type. Using a within-subjects design, 220 participants in New Zealand aged 16 and older were anonymously surveyed and asked to respond to a series of written scenarios that depicted hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, and a neutral condition. Additionally, an analysis of individual differences in ideological beliefs were examined as a predictor of sexism recognition. Results revealed a significant main effect of sexism type, where hostile sexism was more readily recognized than benevolent sexism. A significant interaction between sexism type and perpetrator gender was also observed, with hostile interactions rated more highly when enacted by a man than a woman. Individual differences in ideology were also found to be significant predictors of sexism recognition. The study underscores the need to move beyond a sole focus on overt forms of sexism and address the detection gap that allows subtle forms of discrimination to maintain gender inequality.