Die Rolle von Freundinnen im Kampf gegen den Sexismus
Alice Evans, eine Sozialwissenschafterin, schreibt über die zentrale Rolle von Freundeskreisen, um die Rechte von Frauen voranzutreiben.
Indem sie sich außerhalb der Familie und des Haushalts solidarisieren, tragen Frauen zu sozialem Wandel und gegenseitiger emotionaler Unterstützung bei.
Dazu gehört auch sozialer Druck auf Männer, damit diese von Frauen weiterhin respektiert und als Partner oder Freunde akzeptiert werden.
Das führt dann zu sozialem Wandel und mächtig viel Jammerei und Aufschrei. Beides ist in den meisten westlichen Ländern zu beobachten.
Hier Evans:
As women forged into the public sphere, they also built what I call ‘reverse dominance coalitions’* - a powerful mechanism of egalitarianism. This term, borrowed from studies of egalitarian hunter-gatherer societies, describes how groups collectively mock, bully, and berate those who seek to dominate. It’s an equally apt framework for understanding feminist solidarity.
Reverse dominance coalitions (RDCs) can:
Nurture critical reflection, causing people to question inequalities;
Reinforce righteous resistance
Build sorority and protect dissenters from bullying
Show wider support for equality and overcome despondency traps
Shift expectations that sexism will not be tolerated.
*Christopher Boehm introduced the term ‘Reverse Dominance Hierarchies’, then Daron Acemoglu via email suggested this better alternative.
Friendships!
Friendships are the most basic foundation of Reverse Dominance Coalitions. When bullied at work, mistreated by boyfriends, or unsupported at home, a woman turns to her friends. They listen, empathise, and lambast unfairness.
Friendship groups are absolutely crucial to cultural change. By speaking out, sharing ideas, and thereby realising broad support for social change, people come come to expect and demand better. While one person may be privately critical, support from respected others is validating and emboldening!
Consider the case of Simone Biles and her teammates, who stood united against abuse. Their solidarity exemplifies how female friends embolden each other worldwide—celebrating shared victories, dismantling rape myths, and collectively affirming women's equal competence.
Men who seek approval from these groups - be they fathers, friends, employers, or politicians - must adapt to new expectations. They listen, learn, and adjust their behaviour accordingly.
Households harbour a distinctive potential for tyrannical despotism because the lower-status individual, typically the woman, is deeply attached yet isolated. It’s almost impossible to form a Reverse Dominance Coalition. Concerned for her children's wellbeing and her social standing, a woman may feel compelled to stay, even as she struggles to challenge the terms of her incorporation. Unlike the public sphere, these dynamics unfold behind closed doors, hidden from potential external allies.
This isolation partly explains why gender gaps in housework persist. Without allies and reluctant to 'rock the boat', a woman may find herself shouldering an unequal burden. Seldom seeing men share care work, she may also take inequalities for granted or doubt the possibility of change.
Globally, sons grow up in homes where men are served food and treated with greater respect. They too anticipate female servitude. Denial is tantamount to disrespect. In the outskirts of Istanbul, Yusuf asked his wife Elif for a cup of tea. She refused, so he beat her to a pulp.
Reverse Dominance Coalitions are powerful drivers of egalitarianism. These coalitions, whether formed through friendships, professional networks, or public protests, have been instrumental in challenging sexism, validating dissent, and reshaping societal expectations.
However, the household remains a challenging frontier. The unique dynamics of family life - where individuals are often isolated, emotionally attached, and concerned about their children's wellbeing - can make it difficult to form the coalitions that have been so effective in public spaces. This explains why gender gaps in housework persist and why intimate partner violence remains pervasive, even in societies that are otherwise extremely progressive.
Hier der ganze Beitrag von Evans:
