Internalized sexism

Internalized sexism is a sociological theory of involuntary internalization by women of the sexist messages that are deemed present in their societies and culture. Internalized sexism may be conscious, in which women actively resent other women, or unconscious, in which women who consciously hold feminist views may still unconsciously regard themselves and others as lesser to men.

Internalized misogyny is seen as common in many traditional cultures. In these such cultures, women who are deeply invested in preserving their culture and way of life; to do so, they actively seek to prevent other women from stepping out of their assigned roles within their culture. These women see their own behavior in doing so as virtuous, as opposed to oppressive.

The message of sexism comes in two ways, externalized and internalized. The external sexism is messages and behavior coming to us from outside, through institutions and individuals, e.g. "Women are too emotional to be in positions of authority." Internalized sexism is taking in and believing the stereotypes and misinformation that our sexist culture has externalized on us about being female and what it means to be a woman, resulting in the female expressing self-doubt e.g. "What do I know...", "Who am I to speak..."

The effects of internalized sexism is the development of a reservoir of self-hate, whether conscious or sub-conscious, and the propensity to accept a male point of view over their own or another women's as superior. Internalized sexism may cause a woman to attempt to identify with her oppressor, his ego, status power and accomplishments, in an attempt escape her feelings of lack of self-worth. Women may also seek to not identify with other women who are victims of internalized sexism so they will not be associated with others deemed weak, as well as to avoid confronting their own sexism and oppression as these women reflect themselves.

See also

• Feminism
• Internalized racism
• Internalized oppression
• Self-hatred