I'm just joking! Perceptions of sexist humour and sexist beliefs in a Latin American context

Abstract

Previous research has stated a relationship between sexist ideologies and humour appreciation. However, most research has been done in North America and Europe. In the present study, we aimed to approach in an exploratory way to the social perceptions of sexist humour in Costa Rica. Data was gathered through an online survey, participants (N = 323; 220 females) completed measures to characterise expressions of sexist humour. The main measures included perceived funniness, frequency and means of exposure, and perceived offensiveness, as well as completing the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI). Overall, previous exposure to this kind of humour was remarkably high. No significant differences were observed between women's and men's perceptions of the frequency, means and places of exposure, but emotional and behavioural reactions to sexist humour were gender‐based. Women reported higher displeasure, more confrontation and felt angrier and more offended than men when exposed to this type of humour. Data support existing evidence of the relationship with sexist ideology. Specifically, hostile sexism was found to be a significant predictor of perceived funniness and offensiveness of the sexist jokes. An interaction effect between hostile sexism and the sex of participants was found, showing that as hostile sexism increased, perceived offensiveness decreased, but more rapidly for men. Results are discussed considering the practical implications and limitations, as well as the need for more research in the Latin American context.

Turning ingroup wounds into bonds: perceptions of gender inequalities predict attitudes toward other minorities

“…Of the three groups, that of migrants is the one that can be seen as more distant from women, because stigmatized on a completely different dimension (race vs. gender). While gender discrimination assumes very different forms and often goes undetected (Woodzicka et al, 2015 ; Argüello-Gutiérrez et al, 2023 ), in Italy discrimination against migrants often takes quite blatant forms and translates into overt positions against migrants' rights (e.g., Fulvi, 2022 ). Furthermore, migrants, especially those from non-Western countries, are often depicted as promoting sexist views of women and even associated with episodes of sexual abuse of women (Belpietro, 2022 ).…”