Ambivalent Sexism Theory as a Framework for Understanding Men's Attitudes About the #Tradwife Movement

Abstract

Women who identify as tradwives advocate for a return to strict gender roles within the context of marriages with men. Because men play a central role in upholding gender inequity, the current research was geared toward more deeply understanding men's attitudes toward tradwives and the #tradwife movement. Our focal analyses tested for links between ambivalent sexism and men's favorability toward the #tradwife movement. In particular, we hypothesized that protective paternalism, a facet of benevolent sexism encompassing beliefs about women's need for care, would play an especially important role in explaining men's favorable impressions of the #tradwife movement. We recruited young men via a Qualtrics panel (N = 595; aged 18 to 29). Participants represented a range of racial and sociodemographic backgrounds. Inconsistent with our expectations, hierarchical regression provided no evidence that men's protective paternalism predicted their tradwife attitudes. Instead, heterosexual intimacy (a different facet of benevolent sexism), hostile sexism, and religiosity emerged as key correlates of men's favorable attitudes toward the #tradwife movement. Thematic analysis provided deeper insight into men's meaning-making about the appeal of the tradwife lifestyle. Many men characterized traditionality as offering a sense of purpose, with some noting that women are naturally predisposed to traditional caregiving roles. Some men also derisively described the tradwife lifestyle as an “easy out” that allows women to avoid the hardships of paid work. Together, findings suggest that men's favorability toward the #tradwife movement is founded on patronizing and derogatory forms of sexism that are harmful to women. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843261433199