Measurement of Feminist Identity and Attitudes Over the Past Half Century: A Critical Review and Call for Further Research

Siegel, Jaclyn A.; Calogero, Rachel M.

doi:10.1007/s11199-020-01219-w

Cited by 24 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…As Siegel and Calogero (2021) have recently noted, the measurement of feminist beliefs, identity, and attitudes has been inconsistent and warrants further research exploration. Self-identifying as a feminist is associated with more self-efficacy and body satisfaction, as well as more interest in participating in feminist activism (Borowsky et al, 2016; Eisele & Stake, 2008; Murnen & Smolak, 2009; Yoder et al, 2011).…”

Section: A Feminist Approach To Body Talkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Your Body Is Not Representative of Who You Are”: Exploring the Relations Between Feminist Attitudes, Feminist Identity, and Responses to Negative Body Talk Among Women

Nolen

Myers

Kvaka

et al. 2022

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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Negative body talk is a normative behavior among United States women and is an important area of intervention for women's health and well-being. Identifying as a feminist and/or endorsing feminist beliefs, which can promote a resistant stance toward cultural appearance standards, may protect against negative body talk. We conducted a mixed-methods study with an online sample of 447 predominantly White (81.1%) United States women between the ages of 18–73 years ( M = 41.25, SD = 12.54). We used Consensual Qualitative Research-Modified to systematically code open-ended survey data comprising responses to negative body talk and assessed whether liberal feminist attitudes or feminist identity relate to response categories. We categorized women's responses to negative body talk along with a feminist spectrum which ranged from explicit reinforcement of the thin ideal to a resistant stance toward beauty standards. Liberal feminism was negatively correlated with explicit reinforcement of the thin ideal, and both liberal feminism and feminist identity were positively correlated with a resistant stance. Therapists and practitioners who work with women on issues related to body image disturbance might consider supporting their clients in developing a feminist identity that can critically filter cultural messages that further objectify women.

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Section: A Feminist Approach To Body Talkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Your Body Is Not Representative of Who You Are”: Exploring the Relations Between Feminist Attitudes, Feminist Identity, and Responses to Negative Body Talk Among Women

Nolen

Myers

Kvaka

et al. 2022

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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“…Indeed, national and international reports indicate that more people than ever feel comfortable using the term “feminist” to describe themselves (see Siegel, 2020). Empirical research on feminist identity has proliferated over the past several decades; yet most of this scholarship has focused exclusively on women’s feminist attitudes and identification (see Siegel & Calogero, 2021). This is unsurprising, given that women are more likely than men to recognize, experience, and protest against sexism (Becker & Swim, 2012; Radke et al, 2018; Swim et al, 2001).…”

Section: Feminist Stigma and Stereotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The primary distinction between the FID and the WID models is the population of women that the model is theorized to reflect. The FID model describes a multistage developmental process that feminists experience as they move toward adopting a feminist identity, though it has been criticized for neglecting the experiences of women of color and its mixed relevance for women today (Erchull et al, 2009; Siegel & Calogero, 2021). The WID specifically focuses on the unique everyday experiences of Black women and the process of developing a confident and self-assured sense of self, rather than active participation as a member of a politicized social movement.…”

Section: Feminist Stigma and Stereotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These models revolutionized and invigorated the psychological study of feminist identity. Yet, feminism has grown and changed over the past several decades, and these models are generally not regarded as appropriate for investigation of the identity development of feminists today (Erchull et al, 2009; Liss & Erchull, 2010; Siegel & Calogero, 2021), and they certainly do not capture the unique, gender-related processes men experience as they move toward feminist self-identification, advocacy, and activism.…”

Section: Feminist Stigma and Stereotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“It’s an ongoing process”: A qualitative analysis of men’s feminist identity growth.

Siegel¹,

Elbe²,

Calogero³

2022

Psychology of Men & Masculinities

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Feminist identity is a powerful predictor of engagement in gender-based activism. Men's feminist identification is complicated by the uniquely gendered stereotypes attributed to feminist men, which are antithetical to traditional masculine gender role norms. While there is a substantial body of literature surrounding the feminist identity development (FID) process in cisgender women, research exploring men's FID is scant. This study aimed to develop a more comprehensive understanding of men's FID in the context of masculine gender role norms. Twenty-seven cisgender, feminist-identified men (M age = 33.08, SD = 8.42) recruited via social media were interviewed for the study. Through reflexive thematic analysis, the authors extracted five themes from the data: Diverse Feminist Foundations, Turning Points, Evaluation and (Un)Learning, Taking Action, and Feedback. The men described a feminist identity growth process that was complex and ongoing, catalyzed by various moments of dissonance and clarity throughout their lives. They articulated their negotiation of dominant masculine gender role norms, embracing the parts that supported their growth and rejecting aspects that were inconsistent with their feminist principles. Men also shared their unique and creative ways of practicing and promoting feminism and the feedback they received for doing so. We conclude with suggestions for men who wish to support gender equality and those who wish to support men's feminist identity growth. Public Significance StatementGender inequality remains a pressing social issue around the world, but men have the potential to serve as feminist activists. Men's feminist identity development is complicated by stereotypes about male feminists, which are antithetical to dominant masculine gender role norms. This study explored the experiences and attitudes of 27 men who identify as feminists to develop a better understanding of male feminist identity growth.

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“…Moreover, women's identification with feminism was high across studies and did not vary significantly across conditions, even when collective-action intentions were significantly lower in the resilience conditions (see Supplementary Materials for full analyses). More research is needed to examine evidence for and implications of this neoliberal feminist shift, whereby feminism is understood as an individual self-project, not one that necessarily involves women and others coming together to challenge external systems of oppression (for related theory and research, see Becker et al, 2015;Siegel & Calogero, 2021).…”

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring collective costs and individual benefits of neoliberal feminism

Bongiorno¹,

Ryan²,

Gibson³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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A popular form of ‘neoliberal feminism’ promotes women’s resilience as individuals to advance gender equality in leadership and beyond (Rottenberg, 2014). Ostensibly inspiring, this focus can increase beliefs that women, rather than inequitable social structures, are to blame for ongoing inequality (Kim et al., 2018). In this research, we examine another potential downside: that messages promoting individual resilience reduce women’s collective-action intentions. Across three studies in the UK, undergraduate and graduate employed women (total N=940) read about gender inequality and then read messages either promoting individual resilience as a pathway to women’s career advancement, or not. In two of three studies, women who received resilience messages had lower collective-action intentions – a negative effect that was either indirect, via reduced perceptions of gender discrimination and reduced anger over inequality (Study 1) or direct (Study 3). Across studies, we did not find evidence of individual benefits, and in Study 2, women who read messages promoting individual resilience reported lower personal control and career ambition. Together, these studies contribute to evidence showing downsides of neoliberal feminism. We discuss alternative ways to promote gender equality, including through messages that mobilise supporters of gender equality to challenge structural impediments to women’s career advancement.

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Measurement of Feminist Identity and Attitudes Over the Past Half Century: A Critical Review and Call for Further Research

Cited by 24 publications

References 96 publications

“Your Body Is Not Representative of Who You Are”: Exploring the Relations Between Feminist Attitudes, Feminist Identity, and Responses to Negative Body Talk Among Women

“Your Body Is Not Representative of Who You Are”: Exploring the Relations Between Feminist Attitudes, Feminist Identity, and Responses to Negative Body Talk Among Women

“It’s an ongoing process”: A qualitative analysis of men’s feminist identity growth.

Exploring collective costs and individual benefits of neoliberal feminism

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