Hostile and Benevolent Sexism

TLDR

Both hostile and benevolent sexism justify and maintain patriarchy and traditional gender roles, and the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory has been validated as a measure of these constructs. Comparisons are offered between the ASI and other measures of sexist attitudes (e.g., the AWS), with suggestions for the proper domains of different scales. The Ambivalent Sexism Theory posits that sexism is ambivalent, distinguishing hostile sexism—characterized by dominance, derogation, and hostility—from benevolent sexism, which presents protective paternalism, idealization, and a desire for intimate relations toward women.

Abstract

A theory of sexism as ambivalence, not just hostility, toward women is presented. Ambivalent Sexism Theory distinguishes between hostile and “ benevolent” sexism (each addresses issues of power, gender differentiation, and sexuality). Benevolent sexism encompasses subjectively positive (for the sexist) attitudes toward women in traditional roles: protective paternalism, idealization of women, and desire for intimate relations. Hostile sexism encompasses the negative equivalents on each dimension: dominative paternalism, derogatory beliefs, and heterosexual hostility. Both forms of sexism serve to justify and maintain patriarchy and traditional gender roles. The validity of a measure of these constructs, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), is reviewed. Comparisons are offered between the ASI and other measures of sexist attitudes (e.g., the AWS), with suggestions for the proper domains of different scales.