Hostile and Benevolent Sexism: Prioritizing Prevention Strategies Through a Cross-Sectional Study in a Northern Italian City

Dario Sgarra, Marta Cleva, Sara Nanni, Marco Montalti (), Anna Maria Piraccini and Antonella Brunelli
Additional contact information
Dario Sgarra: Cesena Family Council Center and Community Paediatrics, Romagna Local Health Authority, 47521 Cesena, Italy
Marta Cleva: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Sara Nanni: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Marco Montalti: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Anna Maria Piraccini: PerLeDonne ODV, 47521 Cesena, Italy
Antonella Brunelli: Cesena Family Council Center and Community Paediatrics, Romagna Local Health Authority, 47521 Cesena, Italy

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Sexist ideologies and attitudes perpetuate gender inequalities in both private and public contexts. Traditional views of sexism emphasize hostility, but the phenomenon is more complex, involving interdependent power relations between men and women. The Ambivalent Sexism Theory identifies two forms: hostile sexism (HS) and benevolent sexism (BS). This study aimed to measure the levels of HS and BS among men in a northern Italian town, examining sociodemographic factors associated with elevated sexism scores. A paper questionnaire was administered by a volunteer organization and the Local Health Authority to male individuals over 18 in Cesena from February to April 2023. The convenience sample was recruited from diverse settings, including universities, companies, cafes, and hospitals. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (Glick & Fiske) was translated into Italian and used for data collection. A total of 275 participants were included. The mean age was 44.4 years, with a diverse educational background. Regression analyses revealed that higher education levels were associated with lower HS scores with a high school education and a bachelor’s degree or higher showing statistically significant coefficients of −5.33 (SE = 2.26, p = 0.019, and 95% CI: −9.78–−0.88) and −8.64 (SE = 2.51, p = 0.001, and 95% CI: −13.58–−3.69), respectively, if compared to individuals with middle school education or less. Age was a significant predictor of BS, with older individuals showing higher BS scores (Coeff. = 0.20, SE = 0.05, p < 0.001, and 95% CI: 0.10–0.31). Healthcare professionals had higher HS scores, while unionists had both lower HS and BS scores. This study highlighted the levels of both HS and BS in various professional and social contexts. Education appears to be a critical factor in reducing HS, while age influences BS.

Keywords: sexism; ambivalent sexism theory; hostile sexism; benevolent sexism; sociodemographic factors; educational interventions; prevention strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/3/61/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/3/61/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:61-:d:1606389

Access Statistics for this article

Societies is currently edited by Ms. Farrah Sun

More articles in Societies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().