The Relationship of Employment Scarcity and Perceived Threat With Ageist and Sexist Attitudes

Abstract

Abstract Using theories of intergroup relations, the current research examined whether personal experiences and perceptions of employment hardship (e.g., unemployment, underemployment, perceived job insecurity, and career optimism) were associated with ageist and sexist attitudes among younger workers and male workers toward older workers and female workers, respectively. In Study 1, a survey of working adults found that, among those under 35, underemployment and job insecurity predicted perceived threat from older workers, which was associated with ageist attitudes. In Study 2, in a survey of college students under age 35, career optimism was associated with the perceived threat from older workers, which was correlated with ageist attitudes. Among men, perceived job insecurity predicted threat from women, which was associated with sexist attitudes. These results suggest that groups traditionally viewed as noncompetitive or nonthreatening may be viewed more negatively (in ageist or sexist terms) under conditions of individual-level actual and perceived resource scarcity and competition.