Benevolent Attitudes Research Articles

Ambivalent Sexism and the Sexual Double Standard

The sexual double standard is the notion that women are evaluated negatively and men positively for engaging in similar sexual behaviors. Because traditional, gender-based stereotypes are reflected in the attitudes that people hold towards men and women, it is likely that sexism plays a part in the manifestation of the double standard. The goal of the present study is to investigate the relationship between sexism (prejudice against individuals based on their gender) and the sexual double standard. There are two types of sexism: hostile (negative prejudice) and benevolent (positive prejudice). We hypothesized that participants displaying high levels of either type of sexism would be most likely to exhibit the sexual double standard. A US-sample of 232 undergraduates from a Southwestern university completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) and the Ambivalence Towards Men Inventory (AMI) and then evaluated a hypothetical target individual who reported having zero, one or 12 sexual partners. Results show that participants’ sexist attitudes towards men and women were related to their exhibition of the sexual double standard. Specifically, men and women’s hostile attitudes towards targets of their own gender were related to negative evaluations of highly sexually active targets of the same gender, while men and women’s benevolent attitudes towards the opposite gender were related to positive evaluation of highly sexually active targets of the opposite gender. Implications of the present results and directions for future research are discussed.

Awans symboliczny mimochodem

Upward mobility without moving. Polish Greenpoint Community Leaders and Gentrification of the Neighborhood The text presents an interpretation of the Greenpoint (Brooklyn, New York City) Polish immigrant community leaders’ benevolent attitude toward gentrification of the neighborhood. Referring to the evidence from the fieldwork in the neighborhood in 2006 and 2010, including 50 leaders’ oral histories, it is argued here that this benevolence can be explained by the fact that gentrification brings to the leaders – as individuals, and members of families and ethnic group – both material and symbolic upward mobility. This is ‘upward mobility without moving’, without leaders’ agency and despite the fact they have done nothing to have it happened. It is indicated that, contrary to the dominant trend in gentrification studies that expects lower class’ resistance to gentrification, the lower classes members might welcome gentrification because they perceive it as an advantage to their social status and mobility. Additionally, the article points out to immigrants – omitted in gentrification studies – as individuals who are highly achievement oriented and at the same time uncertain about their status in receiving society, and therefore perceiving gentrification as an occasion for personal, their children’s and ethnic group’s social mobility into the mainstream.

Benevolent sexism toward men: Its social legitimation and preference for male candidates

The present research investigated the relationship between system justification beliefs and the endorsement of ambivalent sexist attitudes toward men. In Study 1 (web-based questionnaire, N = 220) we explored the relationship between system justification (SJ), and hostile and benevolent attitudes toward men (HM and BM). Results showed that SJ was positively related to BM but not to HM. In Study 2 (paper-and-pencil questionnaire, N = 158), we tested the mediating role played by BM and HM in the relationship between SJ and the preference for male candidates. We replicated Study 1 results and showed that BM, but not HM, was positively related to the dependent variable; moreover SJ exerted an indirect and positive effect on the preference for male candidates as mediated by BM. Finally, supplementary analyses showed that the relationship between SJ and BM was positive and significant for women only. Results are discussed in light of system justification theory and of BM as an additional form of legitimization and maintenance of the status quo.

Societies in transition: are they more sexist? A comparison between Polish, South African and British samples

This study investigates ambivalent sexism to women in student samples from two under-researched transitional countries, Poland (PL) and South Africa (SA), in comparison with the United Kingdom. Based on ambivalent sexism theory (AST), and in light of socio-economic context, it was hypothesised that: (1) the sample in PL and SA would be more hostile- and benevolent-sexist than the sample from the UK, (2) males would exhibit more hostile attitudes than females irrespective of country and (3) males would outscore females on benevolent attitudes in the relatively liberal UK but underscore them in relatively conservative SA. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory was used to measure benevolent and hostile sexism. The findings largely supported the hypotheses. The participants in SA and PL were more sexist than in the UK and men were more hostile-sexist than women in all three countries. However, males outscored females on benevolent sexism not only in the UK but also in SA and PL. Moreover, the sample from PL was observed to be more sexist than the sample from SA. The findings are discussed in light of AST and the countries' transitional context.

Pentecostal healing as an expression of godly love: an empirical study

This study examines questionnaire data collected from a congregational survey of worshippers among the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) Pentecostal denomination (N = 1522). It is part of a larger study that considers the influence of a perceived relationship of love with God upon benevolent attitudes and action. This paper explores the influence of religiosity and socialisation upon healing experiences and practices. This is because engagement with healing practices is regarded by Pentecostals as a form of benevolent action. A causal model is presented that suggests healing experience can be explained by means of specific background variables (gender, age and ethnicity directly; marital status and education indirectly), religiosity (Sunday worship and all-age Sunday school) and socialisation factors (significant others and perceived influence of a direct encounter with God). The significance of these findings for understanding healing practices among Christians in relation to religion and health is subsequently discussed.

Ambivalent sexism and perceptions of men and women who violate gendered family roles

This study draws on ambivalent sexism theory to explore the role of benevolent and hostile gender attitudes in determining perceptions of individuals who comply with traditional gender roles or violate them. Three hundred and eleven participants were presented with a description of a male or a female target who was either a primary breadwinner or a primary caregiver. As hypothesized, hostile sexism (HS) predicted more negative perceptions of a female breadwinner, whereas benevolent sexism (BS) predicted more positive perceptions of a female caregiver. Moreover, participants who endorsed hostile attitudes toward men reacted more positively to a nontraditional male caregiver, whereas those who endorsed benevolent attitudes toward men reacted more negatively to a male caregiver. Implications regarding the nature of ambivalent gender attitudes are discussed.

Pie XI et la France: L’apport des archives du pontificat de Pie XI à la connaissance des rapports entre le Saint-Siège et la France by Jacques Prévotat (review)

Reviewed by: Pie XI et la France: L’apport des archives du pontificat de Pie XI à la connaissance des rapports entre le Saint-Siège et la France by Jacques Prévotat Richard Francis Crane Pie XI et la France: L’apport des archives du pontificat de Pie XI à la connaissance des rapports entre le Saint-Siège et la France. Edited by Jacques Prévotat. [Collection de l’École française de Rome, 438.] (Rome: École française de Rome. 2010. Pp. iv, 530. €63,00 paperback. ISBN 978-2-7283-0902-3.) This book gathers together twenty articles based on presentations at a December 2008 conference at the Istituto Sturzo in Rome. The presenters, mostly French scholars, met under the direction of historian Jacques Prévotat, who both edited and contributed to this timely book, which takes stock of the Secret Vatican Archives for the pontificate of Pope Pius XI that opened in September 2006. The contributions herein represent the fruit of the first two years of research activity supported by the École française de Rome. The main themes treated in this collection include relations between Pius XI and the French government, the foreign policy of the Holy See in the wider world, the condemnation of Action française, the mission of the Catholic intellectual, and the Holy See’s attitude toward both missions and mysticism. After a documentary inventory by Gianfranco Armando, François Jankowiak analyzes the negotiations that led to an implicit rapprochement between France and the Holy See, an entente cordiale—after a quarter century of discord—based on a tacit acceptance of the Republic’s lay legislation on the one hand, and the authority of the Catholic hierarchy on the other. The dynamic personality of the civil servant and modernist Catholic Louis Canet [End Page 172] is treated by Fabrice Robardey, particularly his work of reintegrating and reorganizing the Catholic Theology faculty at the University of Strasbourg. Agathe Mayeres highlights the benevolent attitude of the Holy See toward Louis Massignon’s efforts at fostering better understanding between Christians and Muslims and to finding a peaceful solution to the problem of Palestine. A particularly effective use of new documentary sources can be seen in Laurence Deffayet’s contribution on the 1928 suppression of the Amis d’Israël, a controversial decision debated by historians, but traced here to the group’s advocacy of reform of the Good Friday liturgy, a change that would only come on the eve of the Second Vatican Council. Other essays in this section include Laura Pettinaroli’s inquiry into the disgrace of Vatican diplomat Monsignor Michel d’Herbigny and Marie Levant’s convincing picture of France as a “terre de consolation” for Pius XI during the Age of the Dictators. Prévotat contributes the first piece dealing with the Action française controversy, highlighting the sensitive diplomacy conducted in 1926 by chargé d’affaires Valerio Valeri between the departure of nuncio Monsignor Bonaventura Cerretti and his successor, Monsignor Luigi Maglione. The latter, Frédéric LeMoigne asserts, subsequently conducted an adroit behind-the-scenes diplomacy that systematically promoted candidates associated with social Catholicism to vacancies in the French episcopate. Articles by Magali della Sudda and Claude Troisfontaines treat respectively the roles of French Catholic women and the philosopher Maurice Blondel in responding to the condemnation of Charles Maurras’s movement. Catholic intellectuals receive further attention in François Trésmolières’s examination of the attempt by Dominican Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange to have Jean Baruzi’s controversial study of St. John of the Cross placed on the Index and philosopher Jacques Maritain’s behind-the-scenes supporting role in this endeavor. The remaining pages are devoted to topics of doctrinal, educational, and apostolic interest. Marie-Thérèse Desouche offers a subtle historiographical revision in her article on the 1925 encyclical Quas Primas, seeing in the instituting of the Feast of Christ the King not the reactionary gesture of an intransigent pope, but an assertion of the independence of the spiritual realm— even an eschatological emphasis in Church teachings that would bear fruit later in the century. Pius XI’s appraisal of modern sexuality is covered in essays...

Values, Right‐Wing Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation, and Ambivalent Attitudes Toward Women

This study related hostile and benevolent attitudes toward women (HS and BS) as measured by the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) to 10 value types from the Schwartz Value Survey, right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA), and social dominance orientation (SDO). Students (N = 170) from an Australian university completed the scales. The results showed gender differences in the importance of power values, HS, BS, RWA, SDO, and in some of the correlations. HS and BS were positively correlated with power and security values, and negatively correlated with universalism and benevolence values after controlling for gender. RWA and SDO were related to distinct value patterns with some overlap, and they partially mediated relations between value importance and HS and BS.

“Blessed Is He Who Has Not Made Me a Woman”: Ambivalent Sexism and Jewish Religiosity

This study explored the relationships between Jewish religiosity and ambivalent sexist attitudes toward men and women. Drawing on ambivalent sexism theory and Judaism’s views of gender relations, it was hypothesized that religiosity would be positively related to benevolent sexism and benevolent attitudes toward men. The hypotheses were tested in a convenience sample of 854 Israeli Jews (471 women, 355 men) who completed measures of ambivalent sexism, ambivalence toward men and religiosity. Controlling for the effects of age, education and marital status, religiosity predicted more benevolent sexist attitudes for both men and women. The findings also revealed negative associations between Jewish religiosity and hostile attitudes, mainly among men. That is, more religious men were less likely to express hostile attitudes toward men and women. These findings attest to the complex relationships between religiosity and sexist attitudes, and underscore the importance of investigating the impact of diverse religious traditions on gender attitudes.

China and the WTO Dispute Settlement System

Since its accession to the WTO on 11 December 2001, China has been involved in eight cases as complainant, 23 as respondent, and 89 as a third party. Against all pre-entry predictions, the China-related cases have not overburdened the WTO dispute settlement system, as if all parties were implicitly respecting a latent period before engaging in commercial hostilities. Often portrayed as a “passive rule taker” in the immediate aftermath of its accession, China was not only learning by attentively watching other members’ strategies, but also benefiting from the benevolent attitude of its main trading partners, the US and the EU. Moreover, its participation in 89 WTO disputes as third party is not a trivial detail nor is it a sign of passivity, but rather one of cautious preparation that corresponded to the time needed to properly apprehend its new legal tools and all rights thereunder.While there are many ways of approaching such an already vast body of decisions and related legal and economic literature, this article tries to reflect the uniqueness of the Chinese trade regime and the impact of such a peculiar mix between economic libreralisation and maintenance of the state on other WTO Members in addressing the following questions: the transitional product-specific safeguard measures adopted in reaction to a market disruption caused by Chinese imports, the antidumping and countervailing duties issue, and the restrictions on exportations or importations imposed by China for economic, but also societal and political reasons.

China and the WTO Dispute Settlement System

Since its accession to the WTO on 11 December 2001, China has been involved in eight cases as complainant, 23 as respondent, and 89 as a third party. Against all pre-entry predictions, the China-related cases have not overburdened the WTO dispute settlement system, as if all parties were implicitly respecting a latent period before engaging in commercial hostilities. Often portrayed as a “passive rule taker” in the immediate aftermath of its accession, China was not only learning by attentively watching other members’ strategies, but also benefiting from the benevolent attitude of its main trading partners, the US and the EU. Moreover, its participation in 89 WTO disputes as third party is not a trivial detail nor is it a sign of passivity, but rather one of cautious preparation that corresponded to the time needed to properly apprehend its new legal tools and all rights thereunder.While there are many ways of approaching such an already vast body of decisions and related legal and economic literature, this article tries to reflect the uniqueness of the Chinese trade regime and the impact of such a peculiar mix between economic libreralisation and maintenance of the state on other WTO Members in addressing the following questions: the transitional product-specific safeguard measures adopted in reaction to a market disruption caused by Chinese imports, the antidumping and countervailing duties issue, and the restrictions on exportations or importations imposed by China for economic, but also societal and political reasons.

Ambivalence Toward Men: Comparing Sexism Among Polish, South African and British University Students

This study extends the literature on attitudes toward gender roles by exploring whether the nature of sexism (i.e., benevolence and hostility directed at men) differs among university students from two under-researched countries, Poland (n = 190) and South Africa (n = 188), in a comparison with students in the United Kingdom (n = 166). Based on empirical literature applying Ambivalent Sexism Theory, and in the light of the socio-political context, it was hypothesized that: (1) both hostile and benevolent attitudes toward men in Poland would be more liberal than in South Africa and more conservative than in the United Kingdom, and (2), women would exhibit more hostile but less benevolent attitudes than men in relatively more conservative South Africa. The Ambivalence to Men Inventory was used to measure the two types of sexist attitudes about men. Findings supported the first hypothesis for hostile attitudes and partially for benevolent attitudes. South African and Polish students were more benevolent and hostile to men than British students, and students from South Africa were more hostile than those from Poland. Moreover, as predicted, a significant country-by-gender interaction revealed that South African women had more hostile and less benevolent attitudes to men than South African men. No such gender gap was present in the case of hostile attitudes in Poland and benevolent attitudes in the United Kingdom. Findings are discussed in terms of Ambivalent Sexism Theory and the countries’ socio-cultural context.

Jean Fernel et l’esprit humaniste

Jean Fernel (1497-1558) embodied the humanist spirit of the Renaissance. He studied philosophy (especially Aristotle), astrology, arithmetic, mathematics and Latin literature before devoting his life to medicine. He conducted a comprehensive synthesis of the medical system of Galen, and invented the terms "physiology" and "pathology". His taste for teaching, his extensive clinical practice, his benevolent attitude to the sick, and his consideration for individuals and for human nature all contribute to Jean Fernel's image as a humanist. He was the most famous physician of his time, although his work relying on philosophy and galenic dogmatism eventually became obsolete. Forgotten for half a millennium, this distant precursor of holistic medicine is worthy of renewed interest.

Normalities are not the Only Answer for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients

Because our actions change, our responsibility is modified; because our responsibility is modified, we need to question the ethics of the action. Our action is situated right there between announcing a diagnosis, the theoretical and practical result of identification, the determining and naming of a fact and voicing the disease which is a human action where medical and technical expertise comes up against a life and its story. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a degenerative disease of the motor neurons leading to paralysis. In the absence of any curative treatment, the natural course always results in death. Since 1989, progress in the management of this disease in France has been exponential, resulting in the creation of 17 expert centres throughout the country in 2003. Guidelines have been drawn up through consensus conferences and coordination meetings. For the delicate stage of the announcement, three requirements have been adopted: the quality of receptiveness of the medical practitioner and his team, their ability to listen and to adapt to the particularities of the patient in their care; their commitment with regard to legal obligations as to how and to whom to transmit information; and the need for a multidisciplined approach to be able to rapidly support the patient and his family. Questioning in the field of applied ethics has led us to examine whether having a benevolent and non-harmful attitude towards these patients, respecting their autonomy and legal rights are parameters required in this specialized practice. Through a transversal thematic analysis of the experiences of the medical practitioners at the Centres, we would like to explore a hypothesis of the remarkable epistemological progression of the neurologist in this form of care in the pure Hippocratic tradition. Through the compassionate experience of the other by these committed doctors and their teams, we will try to outline the view of anthropological phenomenology with regard to the ALS patient, their awareness of the future paralysis of the body that is being announced, their awareness of the temporality and will characteristic of the ALS patient and of his finality that they will be accompanying.

L’annonce du diagnostic d’un trouble psychogène « neuroforme »

The announcement of a psychogenic disorder diagnosis represents a challenging clinical situation, the quality of which is believed to strongly influence subsequent evolution and overall prognosis. Therefore, clinicians should promote a benevolent attitude, taking into account the presumed psychological mechanisms involved in each particular case. This paper proposes a method for diagnosis presentation, which can provide a general frame for clinicians involved in such situation.

Regional powers and their strategies: empire, hegemony, and leadership

AbstractRegional powers are often conceived of as ‘regional leading powers’, states which adopt a cooperative and benevolent attitude in their international relations with their neighbours. The article argues that regional powers can follow a much wider range of foreign policy strategies in their region. Three ideal-typical regional strategies are identified: empire, hegemony, and leadership. The article is devoted to a theory-led distinction and clarification of these three terms, which are often used interchangeably in the field of International Relations. According to the goals pursued, to the means employed, and to other discriminating features such as the degree of legitimation and the type of self-representation by the dominant state, the article outlines the essential traits of imperial, hegemonic, and leading strategies and identifies sub-types for better classifying hegemony and leadership.

The stigma of mental illness in Southern Ghana: attitudes of the urban population and patients' views.

PurposeStigma is a frequent accompaniment of mental illness leading to a number of detrimental consequences. Most research into the stigma connected to mental illness was conducted in the developed world. So far, few data exist on countries in sub-Saharan Africa and no data have been published on population attitudes towards mental illness in Ghana. Even less is known about the stigma actually perceived by the mentally ill persons themselves.MethodA convenience sample of 403 participants (210 men, mean age 32.4 ± 12.3 years) from urban regions in Accra, Cape Coast and Pantang filled in the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) questionnaire. In addition, 105 patients (75 men, mean age 35.9 ± 11.0 years) of Ghana’s three psychiatric hospitals (Accra Psychiatry Hospital, Ankaful Hospital, Pantang Hospital) answered the Perceived Stigma and Discrimination Scale.ResultsHigh levels of stigma prevailed in the population as shown by high proportions of assent to items expressing authoritarian and socially restrictive views, coexisting with agreement with more benevolent attitudes. A higher level of education was associated with more positive attitudes on all subscales (Authoritarianism, Social Restrictiveness, Benevolence and Acceptance of Community Based Mental Health Services). The patients reported a high degree of experienced stigma with secrecy concerning the illness as a widespread coping strategy. Perceived stigma was not associated with sex or age.DiscussionThe extent of stigmatising attitudes within the urban population of Southern Ghana is in line with the scant research in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and mirrored by the experienced stigma reported by the patients. These results have to be seen in the context of the extreme scarcity of resources within the Ghanaian psychiatric system. Anti-stigma efforts should include interventions for mentally ill persons themselves and not exclusively focus on public attitudes.

Why We Conform

Are humans fundamentally helpful, or does coercion inevitably come with altruism? Julia Fischer examines this question in her review of Michael Tomasello's new book, Why We Cooperate.

Political Pedagogy towards Democratic Education: Educating Students to Care about Local and Global Injustice

Introduction The aim of this article is to explore how educators can assist students in developing attitudes that are engaged and sympathetic to local and global inequalities and injustices. Primarily, the work of Nel Noddings (1984, 1992, 2002, 2006, 2007) on care and caring will be used to examine how this goal might best be accomplished. The work of Slavoj Zizek (1989, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2008a) will also be addressed as it relates to Noddings' care project. My goal in reflecting on Noddings' work in this context is to better understand how college instructors can positively teach students (and pre-service teachers) to care about those individuals (and groups of people) that are separated from the students by a myriad of social, geographic, economic, and political factors. By working through the theoretical lens that Noddings provides, it is my hope to gain a greater sense of how to guide students to openness to and awareness of issues of local and global importance. Starting at Zizek The epigraph to this article may seem out of place. However, I would assert that Slavoj Zizek's comment is an outstanding, if unorthodox, place to jump into the discourse of care. My rationale for using one of Zizek's most popular Youtube rants to begin the discussion of Noddings' work on care and teaching students to care about issues of social and political import is based on the appearance that it seems so at odds with conventional common sense and possibly also with Noddings' views. Yet, this initial impression of incongruity, in my opinion, does not bear out. In fact, I think there is something remarkably similar in their positions. The point Zizek is making is one of his most profound and is right in front of all of us everyday--we prioritize who and what is important to us. Some things and some people are more important to us than others (usually family and friends) and simply saying we the world does not cut it. This is similar to Noddings' contention that it is difficult to care for the world. It seems that Zizek and Noddings have a common understanding and distaste for the paltry and emotionally impoverished view that love and care cannot be universalized in such a global manner without reducing the meaning of those terms beyond the constituent elements of their definitions. Further, it seems that Zizek and Noddings are both rejecting the platitude of universal love as being naive and as a disappointing inversion of the true principle that supposedly makes up such statements. Zizek's provocative statement that is evil may be shocking, but it is difficult to escape his dramatic assertion--we care more for some things and people than others. The implications of his statement lead us back to why Noddings' work is so vitally important to how we teach students to care about individuals and groups that are different from us and separated from us by proximity, gender, class, ethnic background, language, and intellectual tradition. The remainder of the article clarifies the importance of Noddings' work to post-secondary education. In the next sections, I will review Noddings' work on care and caring and relate it to how educators may possibly guide students towards more benevolent attitudes on a global scale. Noddings on Care and Caring About Nel Noddings' Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education (1984) is an outstanding achievement in relational moral theory. At the heart of Noddings' theory is a rootedness in lived experience that critiques the orthodox approach of abstracted, noetic moral schemes and that instead offers to vividly bring moral theory back into the real world. Noddings makes clear early on in this text why she thinks this feminine approach that relies on certain concreteness fills a historical void: Women, in particular, seem to approach moral problems by placing themselves as nearly as possible in concrete situations and assuming personal responsibility for the choices to be made. …

Representations of otherness in Russian newspapers: the theme of migration as a counterpoint to Russian national identity

This article examines the coverage of migration topics in a selection of Russian newspapers with nationwide circulations in the first six months of 2005 and tries to answer to the question: how does the Russian national press represent people and features which are significantly different from so-called Russian character and national identity? The analysis is based on three main themes: immigration, the national project, and Russians abroad. The coverage of immigration addresses issue of Russian and Russian-speaking minorities in the former Soviet republics; immigrants, refugees and displaced persons on territories of Russia; and labour force decline and ‘brain drain’ from the Russian Federation. The discourse on migration is conducted within the framework of the developing national project on construction of a new identity for Russia and Russians. The national project is expressed in terms of the consolidation of Russian society and creation of unified values. The conclusion is that representatives of ‘others’ who differ from Russians significantly in terms of language and culture or who are territorial outsiders are represented in the press in three main ways. Firstly, there is a benevolent attitude expressed in terms of traditional ties to sisters and brothers from the fifteen Soviet republics. Secondly, there is a predominantly aggressive stance towards those who are seen as not wanting to assimilate or not wanting to engage with Russia and regard it as the older brother. Representations of the Chinese and the Baltic states fit this category. Finally, there is an ambivalent response, mainly in relation to stories of Russians abroad in Europe or North America, toward the interactions between Russian and non-Russian attitudes, values, etc. When the question of Russian national identity surfaces, there is a consistent message but it is differently articulated according to the diversity of the Russian press.