Peter Glick, a psychologist, studied the idea of benevolent sexism; a paternalistic belief symbolising women are pure, fragile flowers who are in need of protection of men. Benevolent sexism is a notion which seems very positive, protective and well-intentioned. But Glick and his colleagues have found out and that it has been socially manifested and that it actually undermines women’s careers by eliminating their chances from challenging assignments and depriving them of honest as well as the critical feedback. Peter Glick and Susan Fiske claimed that benevolent sexism is currently strengthening the traditional roles of gender and is maintaining the patriarchally defined social structures of women as being subordinate to men. They clearly stated that due to the conditioning of benevolent sexism, women are rendered inferior as well as restricted to a lower social and economic status.
Benevolent sexism forms a part of the larger idea of ambivalent sexism developed by Glick and Fiske. It has been identified in more than 19 different countries predicting positive assessments of women who obey to follow traditional gender-defined roles. It is typically measured by evaluating people’s beliefs with the help of the benevolent sexism scale, which is part of Peter Glick and Susan Fiske’s Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. As per the concept of benevolent sexism, the paternalistic prejudices develop when intergroup inequality is fused with interdependence between the two groups.
A key point to note for benevolent sexism is that it is implied only at women who stay within traditional gender roles such as wives, mothers, caretakers and other such traditionally defined women-centric roles and who do not challenge power structures defined under patriarchy and serves the relevant needs.
Some seemingly positive views about women under this notion divide the viewpoint about the idea into subcomponents.
(1) Protective paternalism, gives a belief that as women are warm, loving, caring and maternal, they are supposed to be protected as well as provided for by men.
2) Complementary gender differentiation is another subcomponent which says that men and women have contrasting but complementary attributes.
(3) The final subcomponent is about heterosexual intimacy, which states that women and men are interdependent for both emotional closeness and reproduction.
As per the researched idea, concepts and definitions under benevolent sexism, there is a set of attitudes/beliefs about women that brackets them as fair, loving, innocent, caring and fragile. These perceptions are often guided and reinforced by a desire to protect, preserve and restrict women. In many scenarios, these beliefs are casually diagnosed as chivalry or traditional values. It is a form of paternalistic prejudice that is specifically directed towards the women. Benevolent sexism, however, is a warm but patronizing attitude that treats women mentally weaker and less capable in comparison to men. Behaviours that decorate benevolent sexism include over helping women; pretending as if they cannot do something by themselves, using diminutive names toward female strangers for example- honey, sweetie and others, or “talking down” to a lady (in technical cases).
Although this sexism might appear trivial, such patronizing behaviours can be damaging as well as destructive. For instance, when women are given patronizing appreciation instead of promotions or high-risk or high-grade assignments, they get annoyed and their performance suffers. Patronizing praise sometimes communicates very low expectations and this is irritating as well as harmful. Benevolent sexism is often more subtle, however, most of the women are convinced to accept its inherent promises of men’s affections, concerns, protection and help, without completely realising that this can shrink their own independence and opportunities.
A soft and sugar-coated form of sexism
It is a form of sexism that reflects positivity, praise and equality (especially for the women), but not the real image of women’s actual capacity. Benevolent sexism is a fine-drawn, soft and well framed form of sexism, to such an extent that the reflection seems to be the real image. Most of the times, it cannot be recognised as sexist or detrimental by a higher proportion of women. The adoring undertone conceals its sinister purpose. It glorifies and compliments women for being non-assertive, non-confrontational, non-contrary, and compromising. Hence accordingly, those ladies who have their thoughts, decisions and even finances made and managed for themselves by themselves are considered socially rebellious. And the women who hold marriage and motherhood as their primary goal are treated as role models. It not that the women should not be caretaking mothers, but the fine line between treating this as a role and imposing this as the only final function of women in society must be understood. Apart from assigning such final functional options, benevolent sexism praises women (only) in the role of a wife, a caregiver, a mother and rewards them with male recognition and acceptance in the form of chivalry, paternalistic protection as well as materialistic benefits. None of these roles however indicates or proves equality.
Many women feel proud, happy and allured instead of being offended and even visualise their sex and social status as one that garners the advantage rather than discrimination. The fear of social disapproval by men and the resultant consequences, which could involve violence and abuse of varied kinds, has also thrusted several women into this sugar- coated sexism. The conditioning of benevolent sexism has made numerous women dependent on men for their economic need and social status. Ironically, they authorise and justify their subjugation to men and regard their subordinate social and economic status as completely natural. As a result majority of women fail to stand up against a system that is fair as per their viewpoint (thanks to this variant of sexism). Benevolent sexism, by falsely appearing to offer benefits only to women, induces many women to agree to the idea that men are supposed to be in charge. This sexism not only diffuses their feelings of anger and injustice but also obstructs their stimulus to challenge their inferior and doubtful status in the social hierarchy.
Societal-Level and Individual-Level Effects
Although this sexism honours women with pro-social treatment, it fortifies their subordinate position with regards to men and has detrimental effects on women, both as an individual and on a collective level. Fiske and Glick, and other researchers, stated that benevolent sexism is a contributor and objective indicator of societal gender inequality. They claimed that it rewards women a place which is lower in status and provides them inferior roles relative to men. Benevolent sexism somewhere leads to a weaker knot resulting in weakening of women’s resistance to sexism as well as gender inequality. John Jost and Aaron Kay found out that briefing women with complementary gender stereotypes and complimentary sexist items raised the graph of support for the societal status quo and lowered women’s inspiration to enact change in a sexist society.
The impact of this sexism is taking place not only at the social level but also at an individual level. Benoit Dardenne and colleagues have discussed the negative effects of sexism and found out that women who are exposed to benevolent sexist instructions prior to taking a test of job skills as part of an employment interview performed worse when compared to women exposed to non-sexist instructions. Hence, it not only affects their power balance in society but also their potential performance at their work. Impacts of benevolent sexism are not easily detected or identified. This is due to benevolent sexism not being easily recognized as sexist which implies that it seems positive.
Laurie Rudman and Peter Glick presented evidence that this paternalistic sexist belief in employment settings hinders women from being offered equivalent high-risk and superior opportunities as compared to men. This results in slowing their career advancement leading to a slow raise in the growth graph. It has been noticed that women are offered inferior, lower- status, communal job roles that are comparatively more congruent with the traditional gender norms by virtue of this sexist bias. To an extent due to benevolent sexism women lose a control in contexts of romantic relationships. This bias is even associated with acquaintance rape victim blaming. Undoubtedly, this subtle form of sexism has harsh consequences and leaves a painful footnote in the lives of women at individual level.
Mary Wollstonecraft had rightly stated that “I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”
Despite their seemingly positive features, the attitudes and beliefs that shape benevolent sexism are often dangerous, damaging and destructive to women’s rights and even their self-esteem. Benevolent sexism not only divides women and brainwashes them to become instrumental in sustaining their own suffering but also causes a real loss of human potential. It is quite easy to ignore signs of sexism in our day to day lives and get stuck in the vicious cycle of misery but it would be equally tough to deal with the losses and consequences. A parallel and stronger mobilisation by feminist forces that encourages women to see beyond what is served to them as chivalry is how we could deconstruct and diminish the effects of benevolent sexism.
It is the need of the hour to take off the misguided notions that keep women hostage to a patriarchal superstructure. Women need to understand that as long as they continue to be conditioned by benevolent sexism, the conflict against gender inequality and injustice will continue. Women are complete and capable and do not need anyone’s chivalry. They do not need to fit in the square just to assuage the male ego where they will treat women perfectly as long as they are willing to toe the line. Society must remember that, just because some person belongs to the fairer sex, it does not justify cocooning her from challenges (or rather over protection) and showering of over-appreciation and expecting subservience from her at all steps. Undoubtedly, appreciation is required but sexism is not.
The author is a student member of Amity Centre of Happiness.
