A study is doing the rounds this week discussing “benevolent sexism,” and how simple, friendly acts such as holding a door open for a woman signify that the men who do so are guilty of seeing women as incompetent and needing their “protection.”
Every now and again a study such as this one will pop up in the hopes of being the target of the itchy trigger fingers of the kind of individuals who are prone to complaining about “political correctness,” who will inevitably get riled up and share this study among their peers as proof of their belief that the Earth is doomed to eventually be run by women and minorities.
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The contents of this study, conducted by Professor Judith Hall and published in the journal Sex Roles, certainly point out ways in which traditional values can impact upon the gender roles sometimes displayed by the opposite sexes, though branding it is sexist seems more than a little over-the-top and no, the next time you hold a door open for someone with different genitalia to you, you probably shouldn’t worry that you’re exhibiting the behavior of a Men’s Rights Activist.
Speaking of the study, Prof. Hall said: “Benevolent sexism is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing that perpetuates support for gender inequality among women at an interpersonal level. These supposed gestures of good faith may entice women to accept the status quo in society because sexism literally looks welcoming, appealing, and harmless.” Ugh.
I will hold my hands up proudly in the air and admit that, yes, I do open doors for women, and no, I do not consider myself a sexist in any sense of the word. To be sexist you must believe that women/men are somehow lesser than your own sex, but when I hold a door open for a woman I am not suggesting that I believe she is incompetent in opening the door for herself. It’s merely a nice, friendly gesture I have been taught to exhibit since I was a child or, in the case of women whom I know personally, a sign of respect. I even open doors for men, too. I open doors for everyone, and you should too.
People are pretty shitty most of the time, so to suggest that we should rid the world of this one nice, socially accepted gesture as it somehow represents the insidious nature of benevolent sexism is ludicrous.
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