Why women are wonderful

Chapter 5 explores the research on attitudes toward women. Many individual women embrace and find protection in the warm feelings people tend to have for women. However, on further examination, we find that most women do not benefit from the women-are-wonderful effect because the phenomenon is relevant to the most traditional women who adhere to strict gender roles e. Chapter 5 explores the experimental research on nontraditional women, exposing and explaining the modern misogyny of attitudes toward contemporary women.

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All Rights Reserved. OSO version 0. It excuses bad behavior. As noted above, the more unequal the society, the more generally negative the perceptions of men. Ironically, these negative male stereotypes may in fact reinforce the idea that men are designed for dominance. This lets men off the hook for selfish, harsh, impolite and potentially harmful behaviors, because it also shows respect for the dominance these behaviors signal. It prevents prosocial behavior. So why are women more likely to be environmentally responsible, and more likely to volunteer?

For example, as the percentage of women in any given field rises, pay falls. So if being green is seen as girly, men shun eco-friendly behavior because of what it might signal about their masculinity. Most studies of gender egalitarianism focus on the benefits for women. But gender inequality can be bad for men, too. Men living in more gender equal countries experience improved health and well-being and lower levels of violence.

And as societies become more equal, the women-are-wonderful effect fades away — and men as a group become more positively perceived overall. So yes, women are wonderful. Follow Quartz. These are some of our most ambitious editorial projects. By Cassie Werber Reporter. Published July 4, This article is more than 2 years old. Sign me up.

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