A Broader Conceptualization of Sexism: The Case of Poland

Abstract

One way in which sexism is distinct from many other types of prejudice is its ubiquitous and ambivalent nature. Women are either revered or reviled, depending on whether they fulfill or violate expectations concerning their gender roles. Ambivalent sexism theory describes the underlying ideologies and the varied consequences of such ambivalent attitudes. Although the distinction into hostile and benevolent attitudes seems to be universal, the content of the dimensions, developed mainly with white middle-class US student samples, might be inadequate when applied to other groups and cultures. The aim of this chapter is to show aspects of sexism not included in AST but relevant in groups with different economic, cultural, and historical backgrounds. We focus on Poland, where gender attitudes have been influenced by a unique blend of romantic models and patriotic sentiments, Catholic Church teachings, the sociocultural legacy of communism, and, most recently, the rapid system transformation. We distinguish three additional springboards for sexism: (1) the conviction that the fundamental role of a woman is that of the mother (together with the assumption that women’s goals should be subsumed under others’ goals and needs); (2) the responsibility for aesthetics that is placed upon women; and (3) a belief in women’s resourcefulness. These basic tenets form a richer structure of prejudice not encapsulated by the sub-dimensions of AST and, as we will argue, are of substantial importance for the everyday lives of women and the maintenance of the gender hierarchy in society at large.