Abstract
This study employed constructs derived from theories of social identity and collective action to test predictors of feminist social identity. The sample consisted of 95 Anglos, 36 African-Americans, 38 Asians, 43 Latinas, and 14 women who chose not to disclose their ethnicity. A two-step hierarchical multiple regression on these data showed that, as a group, positive evaluation of feminists, positive opinion of the feminist movement, exposure to feminism, recognition of discrimination against women, and belief in collective action contributed significantly to the prediction of feminist social identity, after support for feminist goals was entered into the equation. For a subsample of 36 African-American women, intercorrelations showed that racial identification, as well as a perception of conflict between racial identity and feminist identity, are compatible with aspects of feminist beliefs and values. Nevertheless, substantial differences between white women and women of color were found in willingness to socially identify as a feminist. Results support the importance of distinguishing between private feminist self-labeling and more social forms of feminist identification.
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This paper is based upon the study completed by Larissa Myaskovsky for her thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in psychology. The second author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Henry A. Murray Center, Radcliffe College. Special thanks go to Professor Brett W. Pelham at the Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, and Carey S. Ryan at the Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, for help with a comprehensive review of the manuscript and suggestions on data interpretation.
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Myaskovsky, L., Wittig, M.A. Predictors of feminist social identity among college women. Sex Roles 37, 861–883 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02936344
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02936344