The Relationship between God’s Gender, Gender System Justification and Sexism

IF 1.7 2区哲学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

International Journal for the Psychology of Religion Pub Date : 2020-03-13 DOI:10.1080/10508619.2020.1737420

S. Howard, D. Oswald, M. Kirkman

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引用次数: 5

Abstract

ABSTRACT Behavioral scientists and feminist theologians have long theorized that religions that primarily conceptualize God (and other divine authority figures) as male can legitimatize the social and political authority of men in society, as well as legitimatize and rationalize gender inequality. In the current study, we examined the relationship between gendered God concepts, Gender Specific System Justification and Ambivalent Sexism. In Studies 1 and 2 we found that individuals with male God concepts were higher in Gender Specific System Justification, hostile sexism (Study 1 and 2) and benevolent sexism (Study 2). In Study 3 we explored the causal relationship between gendered God concepts, Gender Specific System Justification and Ambivalent Sexism using a priming manipulation. Results revealed that individuals primed to think about God as male (vs female) were more likely to support the gender status quo. The effects found across all three studies did not differ across participant gender. Both men and women who conceptualized God as male or were primed with a male image of God were higher in Gender Specific System Justification than other gendered conceptualizations of God. Taken together these results suggest that male God concepts may reinforce the gender status quo. Implications, limitations and future research directions are discussed.

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上帝的性别、性别制度正当性与性别歧视的关系

行为科学家和女权主义神学家长期以来一直认为，主要将上帝(和其他神圣权威人物)概念化为男性的宗教可以使男性在社会中的社会和政治权威合法化，同时使性别不平等合法化和合理化。在本研究中，我们考察了性别上帝概念、性别特定制度辩护和矛盾性别歧视之间的关系。在研究1和研究2中，我们发现具有男性上帝概念的个体在性别特定系统辩护、敌意性别歧视(研究1和研究2)和仁慈性别歧视(研究2)中更高。在研究3中，我们使用启动操作探讨了性别上帝概念、性别特定系统辩护和矛盾性别歧视之间的因果关系。结果显示，那些认为上帝是男性(而不是女性)的人更有可能支持性别现状。在所有三项研究中发现的影响在参与者性别之间没有差异。将上帝概念化为男性或被男性上帝形象启动的男性和女性在性别特定系统正当化方面都比其他性别概念化的上帝更高。综上所述，这些结果表明，男性上帝的概念可能会强化性别现状。讨论了研究的意义、局限性和未来的研究方向。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal for the Psychology of Religion Multiple-

CiteScore

4.20

自引率

4.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion (IJPR) is devoted to psychological studies of religious processes and phenomena in all religious traditions. This journal provides a means for sustained discussion of psychologically relevant issues that can be examined empirically and concern religion in the most general sense. It presents articles covering a variety of important topics, such as the social psychology of religion, religious development, conversion, religious experience, religion and social attitudes and behavior, religion and mental health, and psychoanalytic and other theoretical interpretations of religion. The journal publishes research reports, brief research reports, commentaries on relevant topical issues, book reviews, and statements addressing articles published in previous issues. The journal may also include a major essay and commentaries, perspective papers of the theory, and articles on the psychology of religion in a specific country.