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. 2024 Nov;12(4):313-328.
doi: 10.1037/lat0000256. Epub 2024 Mar 7.

Perceptions of Sexism Through a Latine Lens

Erick Herrera Hernandez  1 , Debra L Oswald  1
Affiliations

Perceptions of Sexism Through a Latine Lens

Erick Herrera Hernandez et al. J Lat Psychol. 2024 Nov.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

This study aims to compare Latine men and women's perceptions of hostile and benevolent sexist behaviors, while also examining the associations between these perceptions and Latine cultural values. Participants who identified as Latine (55 men, 57 women; M age = 32.05, SD = 10.63) were presented with 14 scenarios reflecting hostile and benevolent sexist interactions and were asked to rate their perceptions of these interactions as sexist and caring. The findings suggest that Latine men and women perceive benevolent sexist behaviors as less sexist and more caring than hostile sexist behaviors. Latine women were also more likely than Latine men to identify sexist behaviors as sexist, regardless of sexism type. In addition, Latine cultural values of machismo and marianismo were found to be negatively correlated with the identification of hostile and benevolently sexist behaviors as sexist and positively correlated with the identification of hostile and benevolently sexist behaviors as caring. Caballerismo was found to be negatively correlated with the identification of benevolently sexist behavior as sexist and positively associated with the identification of benevolently sexist behavior as caring. These findings lend support to previous conceptualizations of ambivalent sexism theory and Chicana feminist theorizing, which suggest that hostile and benevolent sexism function within Latine cultural values to uphold gender divisions. This study contributes to this conceptualization by addressing the role of Latine cultural values in how sexist interactions are perceived by Latine men and women and highlights the strengths within these values that can be used to address issues of sexism within Latine communities.

El objetivo de este estudio es comparar las percepciones que tienen hombres y mujeres latinos sobre el comportamiento sexista hostil y benévolo, y también examinar las asociaciones entre estas percepciones y los valores culturales latinos. A los participantes que se identificaron como latinos (55 hombres, 57 mujeres; edad promedio = 32.05, SD = 10.63) se les presentaron catorce situaciones hipotéticas que mostraban interacciones sexistas hostiles y benévolas, y se les pidió que calificaran sus percepciones de estas interacciones como sexistas y amables. Los resultados sugieren que los hombres y mujeres latinos perciben los comportamientos sexistas benévolos como menos sexistas y más amables que los comportamientos sexistas hostiles. Las mujeres latinas también fueron más propensas que los hombres latinos a identificar los comportamientos sexistas (machistas) como sexistas, sin importar el tipo de sexismo. Además, se encontró que los valores culturales latinos del machismo y el marianismo estaban correlacionados negativamente con la identificación de conductas hostiles y benevolamente sexistas como sexistas, y correlacionados positivamente con la identificación de conductas hostiles y benevolamente sexistas como amables. Se encontró que el caballerismo estaba correlacionado negativamente con la identificación del comportamiento benévolamente sexista como sexista y correlacionado positivamente con la identificación del comportamiento benévolamente sexista como amable. Estos resultados respaldan las conceptualizaciones previas de la Teoría del Sexismo Ambivalente y la teorización feminista chicana, que sugieren que el sexismo hostil y benevolente funcionan dentro de los valores culturales latinos para mantener las divisiones de género. Este estudio contribuye a esta conceptualización abordando la función de los valores culturales latinos en la manera como las interacciones sexistas son percibidas por los hombres y mujeres latinos, y pone de manifiesto las fortalezas de estos valores que se pueden usar para abordar los problemas de sexismo dentro de las comunidades latinas.

Keywords: Latinx cultural values; ambivalent sexism; caballerismo; machismo; marianismo.

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