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Intergenerational Transmission of Benevolent Sexism from Mothers to Daughters and its Relation to Daughters’ Academic Performance and Goals

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Abstract

A questionnaire study addressed the intergenerational transmission of benevolent sexist beliefs (BS) from mothers to adolescent daughters and influences of BS on daughters’ traditional goals, academic goals (i.e., getting an academic degree), and academic performance. In addition, the role of mothers’ educational level and job status as predictors of their BS was explored. One hundred sixty-four pairs of female adolescents and their mothers from Granada (Spain) completed questionnaires independently. Hypotheses were tested in a path model. Results suggest that mothers’ BS is negatively predicted by their education but not their job status. Mothers’ BS predicted daughters’ BS, which in turn negatively predicted daughters’goal to get an academic degree and positively predicted daughters’ traditional goals. Daughters’ academic performance was positively predicted by their goal to get an academic degree and negatively predicted by mothers’ BS. Results are discussed in terms of the socializing influence of mothers’ sexist ideology on their daughters and its implications for the maintenance of traditional roles that perpetuate gender inequalities.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Grants No. PSI2010-15139 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación) and No. SEJ2010-6225 from the Andalusian Regional Government (Junta de Andalucía).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain

    Pilar Montañés

  2. University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Soledad de Lemus, Jesús L. Megías, Miguel Moya & Rocio Garcia-Retamero

  3. University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Gerd Bohner

  4. Departamento de Ciencias de la Educación, Área Social. Ed. Filologías. San José de Calasanz, s/n., 26004, Logroño, Spain

    Pilar Montañés

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  1. Pilar Montañés
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  2. Soledad de Lemus
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Correspondence to Pilar Montañés.

Appendix

Appendix

Translation of the Future Goals Scale into English

  1. 1.

    Have a boyfriend. (Tener novio).

  2. 2.

    Being attractive to boys. (Ser atractiva para os chicos).

  3. 3.

    Get married and have a family. (Casarme y tener una famlia).

  4. 4.

    Look nice and pretty all the time. (Estar siempre arreglada y guapa).

  5. 5.

    Go to University to get a degree. (Ir a la universidad para estudiar una carrera).

  6. 6.

    Be acknowledged as a good professional. (Ser reconocida como una buena profesional).

  7. 7.

    Get good grades. (Sacar buenas notas).

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Montañés, P., de Lemus, S., Bohner, G. et al. Intergenerational Transmission of Benevolent Sexism from Mothers to Daughters and its Relation to Daughters’ Academic Performance and Goals. Sex Roles 66, 468–478 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-0116-0

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