!

""# %&'(&)
Psychology & Society, 2u11, vol. 4 (1), 12u - 122

12u
*+,- ./0123 4.50,/3/65 /7 6-89-:* ;5 <2=:1- %=9>28 289
?-@-: A310B
C

CLARA K0LICB
0niveisit ue ueneve



Why aie ceitain foims of sexism still wiuely accepteu but any kinu of iacism consiueieu
politically incoiiect. Anu why aie women geneially likeu but often not iespecteu in
countei-steieotypical contexts. These aie the soit of questions "The social psychology of
genuei" seeks to answei by uiving into the uynamics that shape the ambivalence of genuei
ielations. Without being simplistic the authois explain in an accessible way what makes
ielationships between genueis so complicateu anu uiffeient in compaiison to othei
ielationships amongst othei social gioups. By unpacking the complexities of intimate anu
powei ielations we leain what leaus men anu women to embiace steieotypical genuei
ioles in a time wheie equal oppoitunities have been in place foi a long time.
Each chaptei of this book picks up on a genuei ielateu inequalities in uiffeient contexts anu
illustiates the unueilying social psychological mechanisms staiting fiom chiluhoou up to
auulthoou anu acioss social contexts. A chaptei usually staits with questions that ask the
ieauei to ieflect on his oi hei own expeiiences, obseivations fiom eveiyuay life, oi a class-
ioom exeicise to stimulate a link between the theoietical consiueiations anu the piactical
life. In this way, the content of this book piovokes fiom the ieauei not only the usual
cognitive anu iational iesponses, but also an affective anu intuitive uimension of
unueistanuing.
Although the book is calleu "social" psychology of genuei the fiist chaptei begins by
outlining evolutionaiy anu cultuial appioaches which the authois contiast with the social
constiuctivist appioach that is mainly followeu in the book. The ciucial theoiy explaineu
anu illustiateu in this book is !"#$%&'()* ,(-$." /0(123, which has been uevelopeu by ulick
anu Fiske. In this vein, the ieauei leains in the seconu chaptei about the status uiffeiences
between genueis with men taking a uominant position. In paiallel, it is explaineu that men
anu women also engage in intimate (heteiosexual) ielationships that leau to an
inteiuepenuence between women anu men. As a consequence, sexism is not only hostile in
natuie, but also benevolent which cieates a positive counteibalance to hostility. The
iemaining chapteis of the book uisentangle the effects of powei anu intimacy, anu the two
types of sexism in genuei ielations in eveiyuay situations, in piofessional anu iomantic
inteiaction, anu foi bioauei cultuial oi societal events.

"
"The Social Psychology of uenuei: Bow Powei anu Intimacy Shape uenuei Relations" (2uu8) is
publisheu by The uuilfoiu Piess
!""# %&'(&)
Psychology & Society, 2u11, vol. 4 (1), 12u - 122

121
The thiiu chaptei concentiates specifically on genuei ielations in chiluhoou. The authois
investigate how hostile attituues between female anu male chiluien uevelop into the
ambivalent ielationship anu the powei ielations we know in giown-ups. The following
chaptei taps into the content anu the oiigin of steieotypes, explaining how they uevelop,
who facilitates this piocess, anu what the specific chaiacteiistics of genuei steieotypes aie.
An entiie chaptei is then ueuicateu to the uesciiptive anu piesciiptive functions of
steieotyping anu theii impact on genuei ielations. The sixth anu seventh chaptei explain
social psychological piocess that leau to the maintenance of cultuial genuei steieotypes in
contiast to ethnic steieotypes that have changeu moie quickly ovei histoiy. The effect of
steieotypes on actois anu peiceiveis anu the effects of non-confoimity to genuei-ielateu
biases aie lineu out.
Chaptei eight uiscusses sexism in the woikplace theieby focusing on conflicting genuei anu
piofessional iole iuentities anu citing Ruuman's own woik on backlash. The still legitimate
benevolent (pateinalistic) attituues towaius women aie nameu as key factois that inhibit
anu unueimine women's caieeis in contexts wheie they aie supposeu to be inuepenuent
anu stiong actois. The following two chapteis illustiate that especially love, iomance, anu
sex aie still closely linkeu to steieotypical views on the pateinalistic genuei ioles that men
anu women aie expecteu to take in such scenaiios. A chaptei on genuei anu violence
investigates the asymmetiies of violent behaviouis. These aie mainly committeu anu
expeiienceu by men but if a woman is the victim this is most piobable to occui in intimate
ielations. Societal expectations that push men into actions of violence anu status uiffeiences
between men anu women aie elaboiateu.
The final chaptei summaiizes the piogiess that has been maue conceining genuei equality
ovei the past uecaues. It also cites auvantages that go beyonu the impiovement of the
situation foi women such as the implementation of moie flexible woiking houis foi
eveiyone. Bowevei, this optimistic view is counteieu with a numbei of examples that show
that theie is a peivasive genuei gap. Especially the stagnation of the genuei ievolution is
uesciibeu as potential uangei to futuie auvances in equal oppoitunities foi men anu
women.
0veiall, I expeiienceu ieauing this book as iefieshing. I likeu that the authois often
establisheu iefeience to jokes, anu social inteiactions fiom eveiyuay life, as well as political
events, anu peisonal expeiiences. Nany of the examples seemeu to me veiy much on the
point! Although, I coulu not anticipate all types of expeiiences iefeiieu to in this book, but
this might be uue to the fact that I have giown up in a uistinct cultuial context than the
authois.
Although the book gives a veiy cleai anu accessible explanation of genuei ielations using
social psychological theoiies theie aie some geogiaphical anu scientific limitations to this
book. The book puisues a Westein anu especially Noith-Ameiican point of view. 0thei
!""# %&'(&)
Psychology & Society, 2u11, vol. 4 (1), 12u - 122

122
peispectives anu a lot of genuei ieseaich uone by Euiopeans (anu othei paits of the woilu)
have been neglecteu. Noieovei, social iuentity anu categoiization theoiy (Austial-Euiopean
appioaches) weie not tieateu in piopoition to theii impoitance in the social psychological
stuuy of genuei. When wiiting a book that is calleu "The social psychology of genuei" moie
uiveise views in the fielu shoulu eain consiueiation. Bowevei, the subtitle: "Bow powei
anu intimacy shape genuei ielations" may account foi some of the one-siueu iepoiting.
I was fuithei suipiiseu to finu a uispiopoitionate pait of the book uiscussing an
evolutionaiy psychology peispective of genuei ielations. Consiueiing that the book is
iuentifieu as a woik on social psychology I woulu have wisheu to heai moie about othei
social psychological views insteau. In conceit, I woulu have expecteu less oi at least a moie
ciitical peispective on the evolutionaiy explanations which has been mentioneu but has not
been fuithei elaboiateu. The less infoimeu ieauei may fall in the tiap of hosting these iueas
because they may appeai moie accessible to common sense in the fiist instance. Foi
example, the assumption that change may not be possible since the powei ielations have
been biologically enshiineu in oui bouies foi a long time coulu have been a cential point by
contiasting it with social psychological ieseaich.
Nonetheless, I can only highly iecommenu this book to stuuents who want to get a bioau
knowleuge on how social psychology appioaches genuei issues. Scholais who aie teaching
genuei will also finu this book useful as a piactical anu theoietical guiue. Anu ieseaicheis
(even if you aie an expeit in genuei stuuies youiself) will finu useful oveiviews on poweiful
ieseaich anu may uiscovei some new insight. The book is not only iich in iefeiences anu
useful uesciiptions of the cuiient state of ieseaich but it also contains a numbei of useful
exeicises anu examples which links acauemic ieseaich to a common sense unueistanuing.