Ambivalent sexism in close relationships: (Hostile) power and (benevolent) romance shape relationship ideals

Tiane L. Lee; Susan T. Fiske; Peter Glick; Zhixia Chen

doi:10.1007/s11199-010-9770-x

Ambivalent sexism in close relationships: (Hostile) power and (benevolent) romance shape relationship ideals

Tiane L. Lee, Susan T. Fiske, Peter Glick, Zhixia Chen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

92 Scopus citations

Abstract

Gender-based structural power and heterosexual dependency produce ambivalent gender ideologies, with hostility and benevolence separately shaping close-relationship ideals. The relative importance of romanticized benevolent versus more overtly power-based hostile sexism, however, may be culturally dependent. Testing this, northeast US (N = 311) and central Chinese (N = 290) undergraduates rated prescriptions and proscriptions (ideals) for partners and completed Ambivalent Sexism and Ambivalence toward Men Inventories (ideologies). Multiple regressions analyses conducted on group-specific relationship ideals revealed that benevolent ideologies predicted partner ideals, in both countries, especially for US culture's romance-oriented relationships. Hostile attitudes predicted men's ideals, both American and Chinese, suggesting both societies' dominant-partner advantage.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	583-601
Number of pages	19
Journal	Sex Roles
Volume	62
Issue number	7-8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-010-9770-x
State	Published - Apr 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Developmental and Educational Psychology
Social Psychology
Gender Studies

Keywords

Ambivalent sexism
Close relationships
Culture
Gender roles
Power
Romance

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10.1007/s11199-010-9770-x

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title = "Ambivalent sexism in close relationships: (Hostile) power and (benevolent) romance shape relationship ideals",

abstract = "Gender-based structural power and heterosexual dependency produce ambivalent gender ideologies, with hostility and benevolence separately shaping close-relationship ideals. The relative importance of romanticized benevolent versus more overtly power-based hostile sexism, however, may be culturally dependent. Testing this, northeast US (N = 311) and central Chinese (N = 290) undergraduates rated prescriptions and proscriptions (ideals) for partners and completed Ambivalent Sexism and Ambivalence toward Men Inventories (ideologies). Multiple regressions analyses conducted on group-specific relationship ideals revealed that benevolent ideologies predicted partner ideals, in both countries, especially for US culture's romance-oriented relationships. Hostile attitudes predicted men's ideals, both American and Chinese, suggesting both societies' dominant-partner advantage.",

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author = "Lee, {Tiane L.} and Fiske, {Susan T.} and Peter Glick and Zhixia Chen",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank Andrew Conway for his helpful advice on statistical analyses and Blair Moorhead for her help in coding data. We are also grateful to James Chu of Princeton University{\textquoteright}s Office of Information Technology for his assistance in collecting open-ended data. This research was supported partially by a grant from Chinese National Social Science Foundation (09BSH045) and Culture and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (08JA630027) for the fourth author.",

year = "2010",

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doi = "10.1007/s11199-010-9770-x",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Fiske, Susan T.

AU - Glick, Peter

AU - Chen, Zhixia

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank Andrew Conway for his helpful advice on statistical analyses and Blair Moorhead for her help in coding data. We are also grateful to James Chu of Princeton University’s Office of Information Technology for his assistance in collecting open-ended data. This research was supported partially by a grant from Chinese National Social Science Foundation (09BSH045) and Culture and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (08JA630027) for the fourth author.

PY - 2010/4

Y1 - 2010/4

N2 - Gender-based structural power and heterosexual dependency produce ambivalent gender ideologies, with hostility and benevolence separately shaping close-relationship ideals. The relative importance of romanticized benevolent versus more overtly power-based hostile sexism, however, may be culturally dependent. Testing this, northeast US (N = 311) and central Chinese (N = 290) undergraduates rated prescriptions and proscriptions (ideals) for partners and completed Ambivalent Sexism and Ambivalence toward Men Inventories (ideologies). Multiple regressions analyses conducted on group-specific relationship ideals revealed that benevolent ideologies predicted partner ideals, in both countries, especially for US culture's romance-oriented relationships. Hostile attitudes predicted men's ideals, both American and Chinese, suggesting both societies' dominant-partner advantage.

AB - Gender-based structural power and heterosexual dependency produce ambivalent gender ideologies, with hostility and benevolence separately shaping close-relationship ideals. The relative importance of romanticized benevolent versus more overtly power-based hostile sexism, however, may be culturally dependent. Testing this, northeast US (N = 311) and central Chinese (N = 290) undergraduates rated prescriptions and proscriptions (ideals) for partners and completed Ambivalent Sexism and Ambivalence toward Men Inventories (ideologies). Multiple regressions analyses conducted on group-specific relationship ideals revealed that benevolent ideologies predicted partner ideals, in both countries, especially for US culture's romance-oriented relationships. Hostile attitudes predicted men's ideals, both American and Chinese, suggesting both societies' dominant-partner advantage.

KW - Ambivalent sexism

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KW - Culture

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KW - Power

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Ambivalent sexism in close relationships: (Hostile) power and (benevolent) romance shape relationship ideals

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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