Can Gender Inequalities be Reduced?

Abstract

Research demonstrates that sex or gender remains a powerful basis of inequality in the expectations and behavior of men and women in mixed-sex task groups. Drawing upon the work of Epstein (1970) and the theoretical apparatus of status characteristics theory (see Berger et al., 1977), we explore one means by which these inequalities may be reduced--the disconfirmation of established gender-based expectations. The results of two experiments-one involving females and one involving males-show that disconfirmation does in fact reduce task inequality for both women and men. The results also support predictions based on the combining and attenuation principles of status characteristics theory. We interpret these findings as demonstrating that sex role socialization is (1) a manifestation of a more general status organizing process and (2) more situationally specific than has previously been assumed.