Search Results (412)

Gender equality has become a fundamental indicator of constitutional democracy, effective governance, and the protection of human rights. This study examines the effectiveness of legal and institutional mechanisms for promoting gender equality through a comparative analysis of selected European jurisdictions and recent legal reforms in Uzbekistan. Comparative legal, doctrinal, systemic, statistical, and socio-legal methods were employed, complemented by original empirical evidence from an anonymous sociological survey. The findings demonstrate that the effectiveness of gender-equality reforms depends on the interaction between the scope and enforceability of legal guarantees, institutional capacity and accountability, socio-economic conditions affecting equality of opportunity and outcomes, and the accessibility and effectiveness of protection against discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence. Although Uzbekistan has introduced significant legislative reforms, substantive gender equality remains constrained by persistent gender stereotypes, unequal career opportunities, and limited public awareness of available legal protections. The study proposes an integrated legal-institutional framework that combines comparative legal analysis with empirical socio-legal evidence to assess the implementation of gender equality reforms in transitional legal systems. It concludes that strengthening institutional accountability, introducing systematic gender monitoring and audits, enhancing transparency in labor relations, and ensuring effective enforcement of existing legal guarantees are essential for translating formal legal equality into substantive equality in accordance with international human rights standards. Full article

Gender bias in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is both a technical and a social phenomenon: it emerges from historically patterned data, model design, and interactions in institutional use, and it cannot be understood by engineering or by social critique alone. This critical integrative review develops a more differentiated account. It connects feminist epistemology, Science and Technology Studies, critical AI scholarship, natural language processing, and governance research to examine five levels: historical knowledge production, technical representation and generation, benchmark evaluation, institutional deployment, and accountability. The review explains tokenization, next-token prediction, transformers, and the transition from static embeddings to contemporary language models before assessing evidence from standard fairness tests—coreference tests (WinoBias), sentence-pair tests (CrowS-Pairs), and stereotype tests (StereoSet)—as well as open-ended generation, multilingual testing, and text-to-image systems. It shows that measured bias varies with task, prompt, language, model version, and metric. What a test records and what that record means are therefore distinct questions: measurements are situated and depend on the instrument, and their interpretation draws on theory rather than following from the numbers alone. Evidence from employment, education, healthcare, and translation further indicates that the relevant unit of analysis is the model-in-context—the model together with the institution and workflow in which its outputs are used. Technical mitigation can reduce specific harms but does not repair unequal criteria, incomplete evidence bases, or weak institutional accountability. The review proposes a multilevel governance approach combining technical evaluation, documentation, professional and community oversight, appeals, remedies, and public-interest knowledge infrastructure. Its distinctive contribution is to connect three observations usually kept apart—how bias is measured, how generative systems concentrate epistemic authority, and how statistical learning is oriented toward past data—and to show why democratic and feminist governance can keep alternative technological futures open. Full article

The scholarship on Chinese womanhood has highlighted a split female subjectivity and fostered an enduring image of Chinese women as victims. Going beyond this image, the current study sought to explore how Chinese female doctors construct a polyphonic individual selfhood through flexible practices of coordination and adjustment on the continuum between work and family commitments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 female physicians working at a private hospital in Shanghai. Analysis of the data revealed that these professional women presented themselves as individuals striving for career development who also had to address gender stereotypes in their workplaces. Based on our findings, we argue that female medical workers in China shape an inclusive notion of the gendered self by mediating work and family commitments and integrating them into a polyphonic form of subjectivity. Full article

Early childhood is a critical period for gender-role development, and picture books are one of the important mediums through which children encounter social expectations about gender. However, limited research has compared gender roles in Chinese-authored and non-Chinese-authored picture books. This study conducted a content analysis of 148 picture books selected from lists recommended by the Ministry of Education of China, award-winning Chinese-authored picture books, and the iRead Early Childhood Reading Catalog. Gender roles were examined across cover characters, protagonists, physical appearance, activities, social identity, and behavioral characteristics. Both groups displayed gender stereotypes to varying degrees. Male characters appeared more frequently on covers and as protagonists, and the difference between the two groups were not statistically significant. Regarding behavioral characteristics, male characters were significantly overrepresented in exploratory action in both book categories. No behavioral category in either book type showed a significant overrepresentation of female characters. Despite some efforts to challenge conventional portrayals, both groups largely reflected traditional gender frameworks and binary understandings of gender. These findings highlight the need for picture book authors, parents, and educators to critically examine gender roles in children’s literature and to provide children with more diverse and equitable models of gender development. Full article

This paper studies the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4:1–42 through the lens of Social Identity Complexity (SIC) theory, focusing on its implications for ethno-religious solidarity, conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria. The study explores how Jesus navigates complex social identities by crossing geographical, ethno-religious, and gender boundaries, presenting a model of inclusive and boundary-crossing social identity. Through this interdisciplinary approach, the paper argues that Jesus’ ability to affirm and integrate non-convergent social identities under a superordinate identity provides a framework for promoting ethno-religious tolerance, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence. The analysis highlights the relevance of this model for addressing the ongoing ethno-religious conflicts in Northern Nigeria, where geographical and ethno-religious divisions persist. By drawing parallels between the Samaritan-Jewish conflict and the Christian-Muslim tensions in Northern Nigeria, the paper demonstrates the potential of SIC as a tool for fostering dialogue, reducing stereotypes, and building inclusive social identities that contribute to long-lasting peace. Full article

This study pivots from the universally beneficial view of servant leadership and examines how leader gender shapes its effectiveness evaluations through followers’ warmth and competence perceptions. Combining role congruity theory and the stereotype content model, we propose a congruity trap model and suggest that servant leadership produces different effectiveness evaluations depending on leader gender. Specifically, we hypothesize that servant leadership interacts with leader gender to produce divergent warmth and competence perceptions, and these perceptions in turn lead to perceived leadership effectiveness. In a 2 × 2 between-subjects online experiment (Study 1; N = 298), we found that servant leadership and leader gender interacted to predict both warmth and competence perceptions as hypothesized. In a three-wave time-lagged field study with full-time employees in China (Study 2; N = 194), we obtained partial support that the servant leadership and leader gender interaction was significant for competence perceptions but not for warmth perceptions. Gender-contingent differences in perceived effectiveness were more clearly transmitted through the indirect pathway involving competence. Taken together, these findings suggest that the competence perceptions constitute the more consistent mechanism through which servant leadership behaviors produce divergent evaluation outcomes for female and male leaders. Overall, our model and findings reveal that the benefits of servant leadership are not equally available to all leaders, illuminating how gender stereotypes create divergent evaluation outcomes from identical leadership behaviors. Full article

Early childhood education (ECE) in Vietnam remains a heavily feminized profession, deeply influenced by traditional gender stereotypes. This study employs an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, involving a survey of 256 male teachers and 12 in-depth interviews, to examine their career motivations and professional commitment. Regression analysis reveals that gender stereotypes (β = 0.585, p < 0.001) and professional experiences (β = 0.249, p < 0.001) are the primary predictors of commitment. Findings highlight a significant paradox: despite high intrinsic motivation and positive perceptions of institutional equity, long-term commitment remains low due to persistent societal prejudice and “hyper-visibility” pressure. The study concludes that while schools provide a supportive institutional environment, sustainable workforce diversification requires both institutional and societal efforts to address persistent gender stereotypes. The findings suggest that strengthening the recruitment and retention of male preschool teachers depends on promoting inclusive professional cultures, reducing gender-based stigma, and ensuring that professional recognition and career development opportunities are grounded in demonstrated competencies rather than gendered assumptions. These findings contribute to contemporary debates on gender, professional identity, and workforce diversity in early childhood education. Full article

Background: Male nurses form a minority group in many healthcare institutions and can face gender-based stereotypes, patient refusal, gender role assignment, marginalization in the workplace, and questioning of their suitability for working in caring professions. This scoping review examines the literature on gender discrimination, psychological well-being, and adaptation in professional contexts among male nurses and male nursing students. Methods: This scoping review was performed according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Searches were performed in Scopus and Web of Science databases and complemented with the use of pre-designed Google Scholar keyword searches. Included studies had a focus on male nurses, men in nursing, or male nursing students and were concerned with gender discrimination, stereotypes, discrimination, psychological well-being, emotional labor, professional identity, burnout, job satisfaction, adaptation, education, organizational support, or retention. Data were extracted and analyzed using narrative and thematic approaches. Results: Forty included studies were identified. Four major themes were revealed: (1) gender discrimination and stereotyping; (2) psychological and professional effects; (3) coping strategies and professional adaptation; and (4) organizational responses and support mechanisms. The included studies reported patient refusal, discomfort in intimate care, gendered role assignment, workplace marginalization, and masculinity-related stereotypes. These experiences were discussed in relation to emotional labor, identity conflict, reduced sense of belonging, burnout, job dissatisfaction, work engagement, and turnover intention. Conclusions: Gender discrimination against male nurses should be understood as both an interpersonal and organizational issue. Full article

This article examines how anti-Zionist sentiment and antisemitism relate among self-identified American Christians, drawing on an original 2024 survey of roughly 2000 respondents. The survey included multiple antisemitic tropes and Israel-related statements measuring severe anti-Israel and anti-Zionist sentiment. Using generalized ordered logistic regression, we find a strong and escalating association between anti-Zionist sentiment and antisemitic trope endorsement across multiple levels of antisemitic intensity. Respondents who express stronger opposition to Israel are significantly more likely to affirm classical antisemitic stereotypes involving Jewish power, dual loyalty, or financial control. Supersessionist beliefs are likewise associated with greater antisemitic sentiment, with the relationship becoming especially pronounced at higher levels of antisemitism. In contrast, the traditional deicide belief does not emerge as a statistically significant correlate once broader theological and political attitudes are taken into account. Younger Christians, urban residents, and Southerners exhibit higher antisemitism, while education, age, and female gender are associated with lower levels. Taken together, the findings show that anti-Zionism and antisemitism are often empirically intertwined within contemporary American Christianity, particularly at more extreme levels. Because the data are cross-sectional, the results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. Full article

Robotics is a useful tool for learning programming, a key skill in STEM education. However, robotics is often perceived as a masculine activity for boys. This study investigated the impact of a robotics intervention on adolescents’ interest, self-efficacy, and expectations in STEM, with a focus on gender differences. Using a between-subjects randomized controlled design, 109 adolescents aged 11 to 16 years (40 boys, 69 girls) were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control condition. In the intervention condition, they participated in a robotics activity involving programming, while in the control condition, they engaged in a storytelling activity. Participants completed a questionnaire following the activity, with the entire procedure lasting approximately 45 min. Separate multivariate analyses of covariance were conducted for interest, self-efficacy, and expectations, with age included as a covariate. The robotics intervention was associated with higher interest in robotics and programming for boys and was associated with higher expectations of mathematics use for both boys and girls. No significant differences were observed for girls’ interest between conditions. Additionally, boys demonstrated higher self-efficacy in robotics and programming than girls. These findings have implications for designing gender-inclusive STEM interventions and addressing gender stereotypes in STEM education. Adolescence is a critical stage for shaping career interests, and interventions may support STEM motivation and diverse career expectations. Full article

This qualitative study explores perceptions of gender equity and leadership in three higher education institutions in Eswatini. The research involved nine senior management members—deans, registrars, and bursars—and eighteen lecturers (nine women and nine men). Employing narrative inquiry, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, capturing rich individual stories and social dynamics. The study explores how gender influences access to leadership roles, the barriers faced, and potential strategies for fostering inclusive environments. Guided by social role theory, the analysis was deductive, examining how cultural norms and stereotypes shape perceptions of leadership and reinforce gender disparities. Women occupy only 22% of senior management roles, while among lecturers, women constitute 50% of the workforce but only 30% of leadership positions, illustrating persistent under-representation. Findings reveal that despite existing policies, cultural norms rooted in hegemonic masculinity continue to impede gender equity, with organisational biases and societal stereotypes maintaining male dominance in leadership. Participants emphasised that policies must be actively enforced, and cultural change initiatives are essential to challenge stereotypes and reshape societal narratives about gender roles. The study underscores the importance of institutional support, mentorship programmes, and visibility initiatives to empower women and promote gender-inclusive leadership. Engaging men as allies is also critical in transforming organisational culture. These findings contribute to advancing understanding of gender dynamics in Eswatini’s higher education sector and highlight the need for comprehensive, context-specific interventions. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts involving policy enforcement, cultural transformation, capacity building, and ongoing evaluation to ensure sustainable progress toward gender equality in academic leadership. Full article

Gender role beliefs have been found to play a role in healthcare interactions and outcomes, although research is scarce in contexts where gender-diversity trends increasingly challenge enduring traditions, as is currently the case in Romanian society. This study explored reported gender-role beliefs and behavioural patterns among fifty Romanian participants involved in medical training and practice, representing a heterogeneous socio-professional spectrum rather than a uniform academic group (aged 20–52 with different personal circumstances and clinical employment). Written and oral reflections on gender role axioms widely known in Romania were assessed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results indicated strong endorsement of traditional beliefs—such as male authority and female domestic responsibility—while participants also reported behaviours and life situations inconsistent with those beliefs, including women serving as primary earners, engaging in advanced studies, and balancing multiple roles, and men in caregiving professions. This apparent belief–practice gap, not recognised as such by participants, suggests limited prior reflection on gender issues and potential tensions between pressure to conform to inherited sociocultural norms and evolving personal and professional realities. These findings raise questions regarding possible implications for clinical care, as gender-role assumptions may influence communication, rapport, and preparedness for engaging with gender-diverse patients and peers. They suggest a need for gender-diversity education, reflexivity training, and cultural competence development across undergraduate curricula, continuing education, and workplace training. The key insight of the study is that traditional gender representations can persist unexamined alongside changing behavioural realities, warranting further investigation of their relevance for healthcare education and practice. Full article

We present a transdisciplinary Teaching–Learning Sequence (TLS) for lower secondary school students that integrates climate change education with the promotion of gender equality in science. The TLS connects theoretical understanding with practical engagement through laboratory demonstrations, simulations, and accessible experiments. The sequence addresses key topics in sustainability education, including incoming and outgoing radiation, the greenhouse effect, energy transformations, and energy sources, through activities involving the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared imaging, selective transparency, absorption, and albedo. It also includes inquiry-based explorations of electromagnetic induction, miniature hydroelectric and wind power systems, Stirling engines, photovoltaic and concentrated solar technologies, and combustion-related CO₂ acidification. A distinctive feature of the TLS is the explicit integration of the social dimension of sustainability through discussion of the Matilda Effect and the historical case of Eunice Newton Foote, with the aim of challenging persistent gender stereotypes in STEM. The intervention was implemented with 12–13-year-old students and evaluated through pre- and post-tests, written explanations, closed-ended questions, drawings, and the Draw-A-Scientist Test. The results indicate a significant improvement in students’ understanding of climate-related scientific concepts and in their critical awareness of misinformation and climate denial strategies. While the sequence did not significantly increase students’ engagement in climate action, the gender-focused activities promoted strong critical reflection on stereotypes and on the role of women in science. Full article

Prior research suggests that health messages can affect men and women differently, yet these differences and their underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Based on the premise that many health messages are implicitly gendered, this randomized controlled experiment (N = 1116), conducted in a high-risk real-world context, investigates the effectiveness of implicitly gendered messages on psychosocial determinants of protective behaviors, including cognitive, attitudinal, and motivational dimensions, as well as behavioral intentions. Twelve public health messages, derived from commonly used communications and theoretical frameworks, were first evaluated according to their perceived masculinity or femininity, and their effects were then experimentally tested across participants. Results indicate that messages strongly aligned with gender stereotypes produce the largest differences in effectiveness between men and women. For example, authority-based messages (a masculine stereotype) are more effective among men, whereas messages emphasizing social reciprocity or concern for others (feminine stereotypes) are more effective among women. These effects emerge only when recipients are likely to engage in systematic processing, particularly when their political stance diverges from that of the message source (the French government). The results support the gendered message–recipient gender congruence hypothesis, rather than alternative explanations based on gender-specific processing styles, with substantial practical implications. Full article

In Literature and Revolution, a classic of literary criticism and literary theory, Leon Trotsky gave attention to the work of several outstanding women writers. This article examines his critical treatment of these Russian women poets and their work. It shows that he consistently denigrated both the women and their writing by deploying conventional stereotypes and misogynist tropes, including those of the witch and of gynaecological writing. He targeted especially the women’s religious commitments and the domestic orientation of their work, portraying them as immured in a decadent and obsolescent pre-revolutionary culture. Literature and Revolution was published in 1924, before Trotsky slid from political power as a result of the ascent of Stalin, and from the time of its publication, it has remained an influential study of the relationships between political revolution and literary activity, especially, though not exclusively, on the Left. Trotsky did devote attention to the cultural production of contemporary women writers, though not as much or as seriously as that he gave to their male counterparts. It is argued that, in pursuing his ideological objectives of reorienting literature towards revolutionary values and themes, Trotsky’s analysis nevertheless worked to uphold and reinforce, rather than to challenge, existing concepts of gender difference and gender hierarchy. Full article