Sexism in two cohorts of young Australian adults

Decades of research have effectively challenged gender essentialism and patriarchal dominance, but recent signs suggest that young adults are re-engaging with these ideas, particularly the notion that men should dominate in heterosexual relationships. This view is perpetuated via public discourse through social media, particularly in the manosphere and in the tradwives online movement. We analysed secondary data collected anonymously online using the ambivalent sexism inventory with young Australian adults aged 17 to 24 years (N = 874), to assess strength of sexist attitudes in two cohortsthe first in 2010 (n = 573; 72% women) and the second in 2024 (n = 301; 72% women). In this non-experimental, correlational design, our variables of interest were hostile and benevolent sexism, and three subfactors of benevolent sexism: heterosexual intimacy, complementary gender differentiation, and protective paternalism. Contrary to our hypothesis, women's scores on complementary gender differentiation were significantly higher than men's for the whole sample, with small to medium effect sizes, p < 0.001. Consistent with our hypotheses, women's scores on protective paternalism did not change between cohorts, but their scores on complementary gender differentiation were significantly higher in the second cohort, η 2 = 0.026, p < 0.001. Inconsistent with our hypotheses, men's scores on these variables did not change between the first and second cohorts. Results are discussed considering recent trends towards more traditional gender roles in heterosexual relationships.