Men and the Discursive Reproduction of Sexism: Repertoires of Difference and Equality

Abstract

Discourses around masculinities have recently attracted critical attention from feminist social psychology. The present paper contributes to this field by problematizing talk around gender equality in the context of all-male group discussions. Two broad patterns of accounting which promulgated male superiority were identified - appeals to gender difference/dominance and egalitarian ideals. The invocation of gender difference was grounded variously in `socialization', `biology' and the `psychology of women' repertoires. It is argued that such accounts of stable gender differences are ideological, in that they mask oppression by rendering existing power relations natural and inevitable. As well, and somewhat paradoxically, the articulation of liberal values assisted in the formulation of sexist sentiment. This particular discursive strategy has been well documented with respect to `new racism' and only recently studied in the context of sexism. The discursive reproduction of inequalities is clearly an important feminist issue and the ideological import of such talk is discussed.

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