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First published online July 9, 2016

Gender-Blind Sexism and Rape Myth Acceptance

Laurie Cooper Stoll [email protected], Terry Glenn Lilley, and Kelly PinterView all authors and affiliations
Volume 23, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801216636239

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore whether gender-blind sexism, as an extension of Bonilla-Silva’s racialized social system theory, is an appropriate theoretical framework for understanding the creation and continued prevalence of rape myth acceptance. Specifically, we hypothesize that individuals who hold attitudes consistent with the frames of gender-blind sexism are more likely to accept common rape myths. Data for this article come from an online survey administered to the entire undergraduate student body at a large Midwestern institution (N = 1,401). Regression analysis showed strong support for the effects of gender-blind sexism on rape myth acceptance.

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Biographies

Laurie Cooper Stoll is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and the founding director of the Institute for Social Justice at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. Her research explores inequalities related to race, class, gender, and sexuality in the context of social institutions, particularly education.
Terry Glenn Lilley is an assistant professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. His research focuses on issues of social justice with a specific emphasis on gendered violence and organized responses to inequality in a neo-liberal context.
Kelly Pinter is an adjunct professor at the College of Lake County and Harper College in Illinois. Her research explores the intersections of sexual violence and institutional structures in higher education.

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Published In

Volume 23, Issue 1
Pages: 28 - 45
Article first published online: July 9, 2016
Issue published: January 2017

Keywords

  1. rape myth acceptance
  2. gender-blind sexism
  3. color-blind racism

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© The Author(s) 2016.
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PubMed: 26944715

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Laurie Cooper Stoll
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA
[email protected]
View all articles by this author
Terry Glenn Lilley
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA
View all articles by this author
Kelly Pinter
College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL, USA
View all articles by this author

Notes

Laurie Cooper Stoll, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, 1725 State Street, 432C Wimberly Hall, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA. Email: [email protected]

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