title: Polyculturalism and Sexist Attitudes: Believing Cultures are Dynamic Relates to Lower Sexism.
abstract: In cultural contexts in which sexist beliefs are considered traditional, shifts toward gender equality represent an example of cultural change. Polyculturalism is defined as the belief that cultures change constantly through different racial and ethnic groups' interactions, influences, and exchanges with each other and, therefore, are dynamic and socially constructed rather than static. Thus, polyculturalism may involve openness to cultural change and, thereby, would be expected to be associated with lower sexist attitudes. Four studies (both cross-sectional and longitudinal) with undergraduate and community samples in the Northeastern United States tested whether endorsement of polyculturalism is inversely associated with sexism, above and beyond potentially confounding belief systems. Across studies, for both women and men, endorsement of polyculturalism was associated with lower sexist attitudes for two classes of sexism measures: (a) attitudes toward the rights and roles of women and (b) ambivalent sexist attitudes toward women. Associations remained significant while controlling for potentially confounding variables (colorblindness, conservatism, egalitarianism, gender and ethnic identity, gender and race essentialism, multiculturalism, right-wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation). Greater openness to criticizing one's culture mediated polyculturalism's association with attitudes toward the rights and roles of women but not with ambivalent sexist attitudes toward women. Studying polyculturalism may provide unique insights into sexism, and more work is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sheri R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Militano
keywords: authoritarianism; beliefs; cultural dynamics; cultural sensitivity; dominance; egalitarianism; gender; human sex differences; multiculturalism; openness; polyculturalism; self-concept; sex role attitudes; sexism