The Differential Relationship of Feminist Attitudes and Feminist Identity to Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Feminist theorists have suggested that feminism provides a number of benefits for women, particularly regarding self‐evaluations. However, most studies have conflated feminist attitudes and feminist identity. The main goal of this study was to assess the differential relationships of feminist attitudes and feminist identity to self‐efficacy. Four hundred thirty‐five students were surveyed at the beginning and end of their women's and gender studies (WGS) classes. In general, feminist attitudes and feminist identity were related to self‐efficacy variables at pretest and to change in these variables over time. Feminist identity partially mediated the relationship between feminist attitudes and self‐efficacy. Additionally, the results of this study generally support previous findings regarding the effect of WGS classes on students' feminist attitudes, feminist identity, and self‐efficacy. Implications of these findings for the importance of feminist identity are discussed.

When Declaring “I am a Feminist” Matters: Labeling is Linked to Activism

“…For example, at the individual level of analysis, holding strong feminist beliefs has been linked with high self-esteem (Fischer and Good 1994), self-efficacy (Eisele and Stake 2008), academic achievement (Valenzuela 1993), rejection of feminine norms for thinness and appearance (Hurt et al 2007), sexual well-being (Schick et al 2008), and sexual openness (Bay-Cheng and Zucker 2007). At the level of interpersonal relationships, although some women continue to equate feminism with heterosexual disharmony (Rudman and Fairchild 2007), this stereotype is debunked by survey findings from men with feminist women partners who rate their relationship as both stable and sexually satisfying (Rudman and Phelan 2007).…”

“…Feminist scholars have addressed this seemingly simple question with some quite complex approaches, including explorations of the predictors of being feminist (e.g., Liss et al 2004;Myaskovsky and Wittig 1997;Yoder et al 2007a), examinations of feminism as a construct (e.g., Fassinger 1994;Fischer et al 2000;Henley et al 1998;Zucker 2004), and linkages with various outcomes (e.g., Eisele and Stake 2008). What remains most elusive is the construct of feminism itself, or exactly what it means to be a feminist (Liss and Erchull 2010).…”

Threats to Feminist Identity and Reactions to Gender Discrimination

“…Feminist identity, on the other hand, is typically defined as a collective or social identity (Burn et al 2000; Henderson-King and Stewart 1994, 1997) and self-identification as a member of a group of feminists (Ashmore et al 2004; Eisele and Stake 2008). Feminist identification among women reflects identity of a woman and a feminist.…”

Minding the Gap Between Feminist Identity and Attitudes: The Behavioral and Ideological Divide Between Feminists and Non‐Labelers

“…There is a sizable literature dedicated to studying the effects-often positive and selfenhancing-of holding feminist attitudes (see Yoder, Perry, & Saal, 2007, for a partial review). However, as many have pointed out (Eisele & Stake, 2008;Fingeret & Gleaves, 2004;Hurt et al, 2007;Zucker, 2004), there is a conceptual murkiness in this scholarship as a result of the frequent conflation of feminist attitudes and identity. 1 In this article, we endeavor to clarify the distinction between being feminist-minded (i.e., holding feminist values but not a feminist identity) and being feminist-identified, drawing on recent research that suggests a qualitative difference between those women who identify as feminists and those who support gender equality but do not claim a feminist identity (to whom we refer as non-labelers).…”