Men's decline and rising support for hostile sexism: A survey experiment from South Korea

Abstract

Hostile sexism, characterized by derogatory views of women as incompetent and manipulative, is gaining recognition as a significant predictor of social and political trends in high-income countries. This article proposes that men's endorsement of hostile sexism is partially explained by the social trends that signal a loss of traditional male privileges, such as marriage or employment opportunities. To test this argument, 1028 Korean men were randomly allocated into three groups: the first received no information, the second was informed of an increase in the proportion of men who never marry, and the third was informed about rising unemployment rates. Participants were then asked to share their views on women, men, and society. In the general sample, support for hostile sexism was not higher among those exposed to these threats compared to the control group. However, among men who reported downward mobility, the results differed significantly. Those presented with scenarios of declining marriage and job opportunities exhibited much higher support for hostile sexism than their counterparts in the control condition. Additionally, within this group of downwardly mobile men, those who received information specifically about declining marriage prospects also reported greater hostility toward other men. Interestingly, despite this increase in gender-specific hostility, these men did not display more negative views toward Korean society in general. In summary, the study shed light on how men's grievances regarding the erosion of traditional privileges, particularly in marriage, explain hostile attitudes towards both women and men. Importantly, it underscores the interaction of male entitlement and diminishing economic mobility as a fertile ground for hostile sexism.