Gender Differences In Power Research Articles

Gender stereotypes regarding power and niceness in Japanese children.

Belief in gendered social power imbalance (i.e. males are more powerful than females) leads to undesirable gender disparities, but little is known about the developmental origins of this belief, especially in Eastern cultures. We investigated the development onset of this belief by focusing on 4-7-year-old Japanese children while considering another belief (females are nicer than males) for comparison. In the dyadic context tasks, children saw pairs of animated characters depicting powerful-powerless or kind-unkind postures and judged the characters' gender (boy or girl). Results suggested both 'nice = female' and 'powerful = female' gender stereotypes in children. In the collective context tasks, children were presented with stories in occupational contexts, including multiple unspecified people and verbal cues, describing more explicitly the powerful and nice traits of the protagonists. The results replicated the 'nice = female' gender stereotype. Moreover, early 'powerful = male' gender stereotypes were seen in 6-year-old boys but not among girls in general. These findings demonstrate that Japanese children's beliefs regarding gender differences in power vary depending on the context in which male-female interactions are presented. Additionally, the study reveals that signs of the 'powerful = male' social power gender stereotype emerge around the ageof 6.

Under what conditions do gender differences exist in power and achievement values? The moderating role of gender ideology

AbstractPrevious studies revealed differences between men and women in value priorities. It has been asserted that men do inherently attribute more importance than women to power and achievement values. Our study brings a sociocultural lens into account employing gender ideology as a moderator of the gender differences in these values. Specifically, we hypothesized that internalization and endorsement of gender role ideology shape gender differences in power and achievement values. We focused on two components of gender ideology as moderators of the gender differences in values: primacy of the breadwinner role, and acceptance of male privilege. We used data from the World Values Survey wave six (89,565 participants from 60 countries). Results indicated that gender ideology moderated the relationship between gender and the endorsement of achievement and power values. Specifically, the relationship between gender and achievement was significantly moderated by acceptance of male privilege, but not of primacy of the breadwinner role. In addition, the association between gender and power was significantly moderated by primacy of the breadwinner role, but not by acceptance of male privilege. In other words, when participants endorse egalitarian gender ideologies, gender differences in power and achievement disappear or even reverse. We contrast previous perspectives assuming inherent gender differences in human values and argue that such differences are related to beliefs in gendered separate spheres.

Women Are Perceived to Have More Power Than Men in Domains That Are Viewed As Important in U.S. Tweets.

Previous research of gender differences in power has largely focused on the public domain (e.g., leadership positions), and to a lesser extent power on the private domain (e.g., power in private relationships), where people may perceive these domains to be more or less important in their lives. We studied gender differences in preference weighted power (PWP) in different domains by weighting the perceived power by the perceived importance in life in a large set of Twitter messages from the United States (N = 9,286,471). The results showed that men (tweets including "he") are semantically related to general power, and women (tweets including "she") are related to importance in life, which in previous research have been connected to the public and private domains, respectively. Importantly, women had higher PWP than men. In conclusion, men are perceived to have more general power and women more PWP in U.S. tweets.

Is Low Power Associated With Submission During Marital Conflict? Moderating Roles of Gender and Traditional Gender Role Beliefs

Lower power during marital interactions predicts greater aggression by men, but no research has identified women’s response to lower power. We tested whether women who experienced lower situational power during conflict exhibited greater submission, especially if they held traditional gender role beliefs and thus accepted structural gender differences in power. Newlywed couples (Time 1, N = 204 couples) completed questionnaires and discussed an area of conflict 3 times over 3 years. Individuals who perceived lower power during couples’ discussions evidenced greater submission, but this effect was more pronounced for wives, especially wives who held traditional gender role beliefs. Among those with traditional gender role beliefs, greater submission together with lower power predicted lower marital adjustment over time. These results highlight that the low power–submission link, and associated implications for marital adjustment, need to be evaluated in the context of power-relevant situations, gender, and broader power-related beliefs about gender roles.

Examining relationships of intimate partner violence and food insecurity with HIV-related risk factors among young pregnant Liberian women

ABSTRACTGender inequities place women at an increased risk for HIV acquisition, and this association may particularly disenfranchize young pregnant women. Intimate partner violence (IPV) and food insecurity may contribute to gender differences in power, thereby influencing HIV disparities between women and men. Factors influencing gender disparities in HIV are unique and country-specific within sub-Saharan Africa, yet these factors are understudied among women in Liberia. This paper sought to examine the unique contributions and intersections of intimate partner violence (IPV) and food insecurity with HIV-related risk factors among young pregnant women in Liberia. Between March 2016 and August 2016, cross-sectional data collected from 195 women aged 18–30, residing in Monrovia, Liberia who were receiving prenatal services were used to examine the independent and interaction effects of IPV and food insecurity on HIV-related risk factors (i.e., sexual partner concurrency, economically-motivated relationships). IPV (31.3%) and food insecurity (47.7%) were prevalent. Young women who experience IPV are more likely to report food insecurity (p < 0.05). Young women who experienced IPV and food insecurity were more likely to start a new relationship for economic support (ps < 0.05). Young women who experience IPV and food insecurity were more likely to report engaging in transactional sex (ps < 0.05). There were no significant interaction effects between IPV and food insecurity (ps > 0.05). IPV and food insecurity each uniquely heighten young Liberian women’s vulnerability to HIV. Intervention and policy efforts are need to promote and empower women’s sexual health through integrated sexual and reproductive health services, and reduce IPV and food insecurity among pregnant Liberian women.

Gender, emotion and power in work relationships

We offer a theoretical account of how gender and emotion combine to influence the development of power in work relationships. We document the profound impact gender has on the display, perception and evaluation of emotion in the workplace. We illustrate the reciprocal relationship between emotion and power, and identify cycles of powerlessness that prevent women from developing and leveraging power in their work relationships. By exploring the nexus of gender, emotion and power in work relationships, we offer new insights into how the gendering of emotion creates and perpetuates gender differences in power in organizations. Implications for research and practice are offered.

Public policy, ‘men's time’ and power: The work of community midwives in the British National Health Service

Synopsis This article links theoretical work on time and gender to a case study of community-based midwives in the British National Health Service in England. While it rejects universalism or essentialism, the article argues that continuing social differences make it meaningful to talk about ‘women's time’ (cyclical, qualitative, relational, and natural time, particularly associated with private life and care) and ‘men's time’ (linear, quantitative, commodified, and clock time, particularly associated with the capitalist workplace). It also argues that gendered time cultures are bound up with gender differences in power. The case study finds that midwives experience a damaging clash between hegemonic ‘men's time’ and the time needs of women. It also finds that, despite some recent women-friendly changes in maternity care at the level of rhetoric, market-driven reforms have consolidated an inappropriate ‘time is money’ rationality. The article concludes that we need to reassert the value of ‘women's time’ in the interests of us all.

NAVIGATING THE EMOTIONAL BATTLEFIELD: GENDER, POWER AND EMOTION IN ENTREPRENEURIAL RELATIONSHIPS.

We offer a theoretical account of how gender and emotion combine to create gender differences in entrepreneurial success, and how gender impacts the display, perception and evaluation of emotion in work relationships. By examining the gender-emotion-power nexus, we also illuminate processes underlying gender differences in power in work relationships.

Gender, Language And Computer-mediatedCommunication

This research aimed to investigate gender and language in the context of educational computer-mediated interactions. As the use of online discussion groups in campus-based education increases, so does the need to investigate the impact of gender on language and communication styles in this context. It has been claimed that the lack of social context cues in computer-mediated communication (CMC) equalises participation, resulting in a more democratic environment than face-to-face communication. However, gender differences in power and language use have been found online. In total, 197 students (148 females, 49 males) participated in open-ended online discussion as an optional part of their introductory psychology module. Informed consent was sought from the online participants to download the electronic discourse for analysis using Atlas.ti 4.2. Participation and language use were analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. A detailed coding scheme was developed during the pilot study that incorporated various linguistic, stylistic, paralinguistic and task variables. This coding scheme was used in subsequent studies and 699 messages from four studies were coded in total. Males and females were similar overall with regard to participation as shown by the total number of posts and mean number of words per post. However, gender-related patterns in language use and interaction styles were found. The results are discussed in relation to previous literature on gender and language in both face-to-face and computermediated contexts and in relation to the democratising theories of CMC. The implications of the results for the use of CMC in Higher Education will also be considered.

Violence &amp; gender reexamined

A Theory of Instrumental Violence Comparing Frequencies Gender Differences in Power and Status Chivalry Privacy and Police Intervention Controlling Women Love Triangles Coercive Versus Consensual Sex Sexual Motivation Sexism and Sexual Coercion Sexual Coercion and the Law.

Gender and the Meaning and Experience of Virginity Loss in the Contemporary United States

This article draws on in-depth case studies of 61 women and men of diverse sexual identities to show how gender, while apparently diminishing in significance, continues to shape interpretations and experiences of virginity loss in complex ways. Although women and men tended to assign different meanings to virginity, those who shared an interpretation reported similar virginity-loss encounters. Each interpretation of virginity—as a gift, stigma, or process—featured unequal roles for virgin and partner, which interacted with gender differences in power to produce interpretation-specific patterns of gender subordination, only one of which consistently gave men power over women.

Gender, Interpersonal Power, and Social Influence

This article reviews research on gender differences in power and their effect on social influence. Evidence indicates that men generally possess higher levels of expert and legitimate power than women do and that women possess higher levels of referent power than men do. These differences are reflected, to some extent, in the influence strategies used by men and women and, more clearly, in gender differences in social influence. Women generally have greater difficulty exerting influence than men do, particularly when they use influence that conveys competence and authority. These findings indicate that gender differences in influence are mediated by gender differences in power.

SURVEY RESEARCH AND THE LIMITED IMAGINATION

Advancing debate concerning women and accounting careers requires empirical research that is sensitive to the limits of survey research methods. The main question for research design is to find methods that reliably separate subjective preferences from social structuring of preferences. Bernardi's study of lifestyle preferences does not do this and reiterates the view that gender differences in power and income amongst accountants arise not from discrimination but from choice.

Gender differences in power and self‐disclosure in dating and married couples

AbstractThe relationship between power and self‐disclosure was studied for 20 dating and 20 married couples. Power and self‐disclosure scales (of feelings and of accomplishments) were constructed and administered individually. We hypothesized that: (1) Women disclose more about feelings than men. (2) Men disclose more about accomplishments than women. (3) Power is positively correlated with disclosure of accomplishments. (4) Power is negatively correlated with disclosure of feelings and weaknesses. (5) Dating men are more powerful than dating women, but there are no gender differences in power in marriage. Hypotheses 1,3, and 5 were supported. Hypotheses 2 and 4 were rejected. Our findings revealed that there were no differences in power or disclosure of accomplishments between men and women for the total group. However, a significant interaction was found between gender and marital status for power. Dating men had more power than dating women, but married women had more power than married men. Last, women disclosed more feelings than men across both groups.