Ambivalent sexism in adolescence: The relationship between family socialization styles and ambivalent sexism in adolescence

Abstract

<p xmlns="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/JATS1">The aims of the present study are to identify the role that family socialisation styles play in ambivalent sexism and whether differences in sexism can be attributed to gender. We used a sample of 207 adolescents (56.5% girls), all of whom attended state schools and were aged between 14 and 18 years old, with an average age of 16.2 (SD = 1.7). The instruments used were the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) consisting of two factors – hostile sexism and benevolent sexism – and the Family Socialization Scale (SOC-30) made up of four subscales: support, punishment/coercion, overprotection/control, and reprobation. The results show that boys presented higher levels of ambivalent sexism than girls and the reprobation of adolescents was the family socialization type that had the strongest associations with ambivalent sexism scales in both genders. The data suggest that family socialisation dynamics play an important role in the acquisition and retention of sexist attitudes.</p>

Transphobia and Gender Bashing in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: The Role of Individual Differences and Psychosocial Variables

“…The results also suggest that teenagers whose families use emotional affection to influence their decisions and behaviour or are less overprotecting and controlling are more likely to engage in gender-based attacks. Although there are few studies that have examined the relationship between these variables, our results are consistent with previous research showing greater family disapproval and less overprotection/control is associated with aggressive behaviour (Espelage et al, 2014;Li et al, 2000) and hostile sexism (Dueñas et al, 2020).…”

“…Besides the peer group, family is part of the social context that may facilitate the development of prejudices (e.g., Dueñas et al., 2020). However, few studies have focused on the relationship between family socialization styles, and transphobia or gender bashing.…”

“…Apparently, family relationships based on affection and communication are related to lower levels of violent behaviour and higher levels of prosocial behaviours in children and adolescents, while family relationships based on coercive strategies are related to greater violence (Ibabe, 2015). Moreover, a family socialization style characterized by reprobation is linked to hostile and benevolent sexism in adolescents (Dueñas et al., 2020). Therefore, it makes sense to assume that family socialization styles may also be related to the development of other kinds of prejudice, such as transphobia and gender bashing in adolescence.…”

“…In other words, by rejecting vulnerable groups, they feel that they are better than other kinds of people even though they are disapproved of by their own family. In fact, a study conducted with a Spanish sample found close relationships between a reprobation family socialisation style and different types of sexism (Dueñas et al., 2020). In terms of personality, and on the basis of the studies mentioned above, we expect both agreeableness and openness to experience to correlate negatively with transphobia and gender bashing.…”

How do spouses’ levels of ambivalent sexism predict allocations of household chores? Probing why women still perform most of the work in the U.S.

“…del Prado and López speculate that, in Spain, parents may be transmitting traditional-and inequality-perpetuating-gender-role norms to their daughters, which override educational curricula designed to combat sexism. Indeed, research from multiple countries has shown various parental attitudes and socialization behaviors to be positively associated with teenage girls' benevolent sexism (Dueñas, Santiago-Larrieua, Ferre-Reya, & Cosi, 2020;Mastari, Spruyt, & Siongers, 2019;Montañés et al, 2012). Finally, the present study showed partially overlapping findings with an earlier study (Chen et al, 2009), in which U.S. women's traditional attitudes toward women's domestic life were associated with benevolent sexism.…”