Turning the (Rising) Tide: Sexism, Relative Sexism, and their impact on Radical Right Party Support

How do sexist attitudes impact support for radical right parties (RRP)? While we know from some case studies that sexism can bolster RRP support (Anduiza and Rico 2022; Durovic and Mayer 2022), we lack systematic research on the effect of sexism across different countries and socio-demographic groups. This paper connects voting behavior, gender, and psychological theories of sexism, using a quantitative approach and mobilizing European Values Study data. Following cultural backlash theory (Norris and Inglehart 2019), I argue that conservative backlash occurs when progressive attitudes become predominant at the expense of traditional values, triggering a reaction among individuals who perceive their own values as becoming a minority. In such context, sexist attitudes can be activated. This concept of relative positioning explains how individuals compare their attitudes to prevailing societal norms and to the predominant attitudes within the population. I introduce the concept of relative sexism, which is measured by comparing individuals' sexist attitudes to their country average. Similarly, the gender equality context should moderate the electoral effect of sexism, with more egalitarian contexts activating sexist attitudes, echoing research linking the gender equality context to shifts in political participation (Dassonneville & Kostelka, 2021) and to RRP support (Donovan, 2022). I demonstrate that sexism is a predictor of RRP support in Europe. Its effect is stronger among younger individuals, suggesting that "young sexists" perceive themselves as part of a threatened minority within their age group, where the majority may hold more progressive attitudes. The effect of sexism on RRP support is the same for men and women, which means that there is no gender gap when it comes to the effect of sexist attitudes. Nevertheless, there remains a radical right gender gap as women are less likely to support RRP. However, this seems to be driven by women over 65. Individuals exhibiting higher levels of relative sexism, i.e. individuals whose sexist attitudes are more distant from their country’s mean, are more inclined to support RRP. Rather than the effect of an individual’s absolute positioning, RRP support should be seen as a reactionary response to perceived threats to traditional values and gender roles by individuals who feel like a minority in their country because they hold different attitudes rather than because of the absolute effect of sexism. The gender equality context moderates the effect of sexism on RRP support: in more egalitarian contexts, sexist attitudes have a stronger impact on RRP support, highlighting once again the role of cultural backlash dynamics. This paper provides a deeper understanding of the connection between sexism and political preferences, emphasizing the importance of considering both individual and contextual factors in understanding RRP support. Even if sexist attitudes are not always salient among voters, one might assume that in certain contexts, where gender issues become salient, these latent values are activated. Recent events have shown that the rights of women and gender minorities are under attack around the world. It is therefore essential to understand how sexist attitudes can be activated, and how they ultimately impact political preferences.