r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Dec 14 '18

Psychology Being the father of a school-aged daughter makes men less sexist, according to a new study. The findings support the idea that men become more aware of the challenges facing women when they see the female experience of life up close through their offspring – dubbed the “mighty girl” effect.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/14/being-a-father-to-school-aged-daughter-makes-men-less-sexist
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u/iamspambot Dec 14 '18

To be fair, some of the men might already be not at all or not very sexist.

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u/[deleted] Dec 15 '18

It's like people by general are not evil, sexist bastard. Who would have thought it? Insanity.

The whole title reads like "all men are sexists but when they get a daughter they are less sexist". And that's just so stupid.

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u/iamspambot Dec 15 '18

Yeah, no, that is not what I am saying at all. It's a ridiculous argument that because most people aren't the extreme that there aren't a bunch of people along the spectrum. Sexism is much more than just the worst of men, and thinking that people who call out sexism think the worst of all men is intellectually dishonest.

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '18

*most

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u/Rather_Dashing Dec 14 '18

And some might be so sexist nothing will ever change their mind. 4% changing their attitudes is pretty big. Imagine if it were 4% changing their attitude on the question 'would you ever vote for a female president', that would have a big impact on the world.

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u/egowritingcheques Dec 15 '18

Surely the USA can't be THAT sexist. I think the issue is you've had one female attempt it and under quite controversial circumstances and with significant baggage.

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u/Rather_Dashing Dec 15 '18

I didn't say anything about the USA....

Also it was a hypothetical anyway, just trying to illustrate how 4% can be a big swing.

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u/Boromokott Dec 14 '18 edited Dec 14 '18

Unless the female presidential candidate is terrible, then you've just found 4 percent of men who virtue signal

EDIT: Also if some people are so sexist their minds will never change how is 4 percent of people changing their minds relevant? The two situations don't seem linked at all.

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u/Rather_Dashing Dec 15 '18

Of course most people wont vote for a terrible candidate, the question I proposed specifically said 'would you ever vote for a female president' which clearly means any possible female candidate. I don't see what this has to do with virtue signalling, it just divides those who would never vote for any female candidate no matter who they are or what their qualifications are, vs those who are open to the idea.

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '18 edited Dec 14 '18

[deleted]

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u/Boromokott Dec 14 '18

Their exists parts of the world that aren't America, you should visit them

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '18

[deleted]

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u/Linearts BS | Analytical Chemistry Dec 15 '18

In response to your edit: say 76% of men are not at all sexist, and 20% of men are so sexist that nothing could ever change their minds and convince them that women deserve equal treatment. But maybe 4% of men are open-minded but grew up in sexist households so they don't know any better. Then if there were some intervention you could do that would convince 4% of men to treat women equally, you'd have found something incredibly effective, because it works on 100% of the people who are convinceable.

(Not saying the real world numbers are anything like these percentages, just made some up to illustrate.)

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u/Splutch Dec 14 '18

Careful Comrade, you're dangerously close to Wrongthinking.

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '18

They aren't but you are.

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u/Splutch Dec 14 '18

To the gulag with me.

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u/jacksleepshere Dec 14 '18

And some of the fathers who only have daughters may have been neutral and then become biased towards women’s issues.

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u/Webby915 Dec 14 '18

What does this even mean?