Theorizing Gender in the Face of Social Change: Is There Anything Essential About Essentialism?
Theorizing Gender in the Face of Social Change: Is There Anything Essential About Essentialism?
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DOI：
10.1037/a0012966
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发表时间：
2009-03-01
影响因子：
7.6
通讯作者：
Hornsey, Matthew J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Morton, Thomas A.;Postmes, Tom;Hornsey, Matthew J.
作者研究了社会等级稳定性的信念如何调节性别歧视和本质主义信念之间的联系，以及本质主义信念的表达如何影响社会结构。研究1（N = 240）和研究2（N = 143）将基于性别的不平等分为稳定、变化或变化。在这两项研究中，性别歧视与本质主义仅在男性中呈正相关，并且仅在不平等表现为变化时。研究3（N = 552）探讨了表达社会变革的本质主义理论的可能后果。接触本质主义理论增加了男子和妇女对不平等的接受程度。暴露在这种情况下，男子进一步支持歧视性做法，并增强了他们的自尊心。这些模式表明，虽然本质主义与偏见有关，但这种联系本身并不重要。相反，当更高的地位受到变化的威胁时，本质主义可能会被战略性地援引来保护更高的地位，并且可能会成功地这样做。
The authors examine how beliefs about the stability of the social hierarchy moderate the link between sexism and essentialist belief's about gender and how the expression of essentialist beliefs might reciprocally affect the social structure. Studies 1 (N = 240) and 2 (N = 143) presented gender-based inequality as stable, changing, or changed. In both studies, sexism was positively associated with essentialism only among men and only when inequality was presented as changing. Study 3 (N = 552) explored the possible consequences of expressing essentialist theories for social change. Exposure to essentialist theories increased both men's and women's acceptance of inequality. Exposure further increased men's support for discriminatory practices and boosted their self-esteem. These patterns demonstrate that although essentialism is linked to prejudice, this link is itself not essential. Rather, essentialism may be invoked strategically to protect higher status when this is threatened by change and may be successful in so doing.