Abstract
Although women who highly identify with other women are more susceptible to stereotype threat effects, women's identification might associate with greater leadership aspirations contingent on (1) counter-stereotype salience and (2) feminist identification. When gender counter-stereotypes are salient, women's identification should associate with greater leadership aspiration regardless of feminism, while when gender stereotypes are salient, women's identification would predict greater leadership aspirations contingent on a high level of feminist identification. In our study US-based women (N = 208) attended to gender stereotypic (vs. counter-stereotypic) content. We measured identification with women and identification with feminism, and, following the manipulation, leadership aspirations in an imagined work scenario. The interaction between identification with women, identification with feminism, and attention to stereotypes (vs. counter-stereotypes) significantly predicted leadership aspirations. In the counter-stereotypic condition women's identification associated with greater leadership aspirations regardless of feminist identification. In the stereotypic condition women's identification predicted leadership aspirations only at high levels of feminist identification. We conclude that salient counter-stereotypes and a strong identification with feminism may help high women identifiers increase their leadership aspirations.
Highlights
Recent years have seen a proliferation of campaigns promoting gender equality
Correlation analyses revealed that the liberal feminist attitude scale was related to feminist identification, but not with women’s identification or leadership aspirations
Counter-stereotypes and feminism are thought to inspire and motivate women to challenge gender inequality, and are often used in public campaigns and interventions. Could such means be helpful in raising the leadership aspirations of highly identified women? To answer this question we tested whether stereotype exposure and feminist identification moderate the effect of gender identification on women’s leadership aspirations
Summary
Recent years have seen a proliferation of campaigns promoting gender equality. In 2005, the web designer Gretchen Cawthon launched a website called “Girls Can’t What?”. The website sells merchandise featuring women in counter-stereotypic professions: e.g., women construction workers, women firefighters, and women scientists In another campaign, in 2011, the gender studies department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology promoted women’s greater identification with feminism. In 2011, the gender studies department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology promoted women’s greater identification with feminism As part of this campaign, members of the university received bags and badges promoting feminism, and were photographed holding signs saying, “This is what a Counter-Stereotypes, Feminism and Women’s Leadership Aspirations feminist looks like”. As part of this campaign, members of the university received bags and badges promoting feminism, and were photographed holding signs saying, “This is what a Counter-Stereotypes, Feminism and Women’s Leadership Aspirations feminist looks like”1 Events like these highlight an increasing recognition that gender disparities are detrimental to societies and economies, and suggest approaches that can be taken to address inequality. Our paper investigates two of these approaches: promoting gender counter-stereotypes, and increasing women’s identification with feminism, and looks at the consequences they may have to women’s leadership aspirations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
