Gender Stereotyping in an Agricultural Sample

A vast wealth of social psychological research conducted over half a century has demonstrated the consequences of gender stereotypes. However, this research has significant limitations. Namely, generalizability outside of academia and the effects of social change. This study examined a non-academic population that has recently experienced significant gender role redistribution to overcome these limitations. Utilizing a full-cycle research approach consisting of both ethnographic and experimental methods, I examined three research questions: 1) how do gender stereotypes manifest within rural agricultural communities? 2) how is women’s increased participation in agriculture related to changes in gender stereotype use? and 3) how do gender stereotypes in rural, agricultural samples compare to gender stereotypes in urban, university samples? The results of this study provide evidence supporting the development of more comprehensive and inclusive gender stereotyping measures, contribute to scientific knowledge about the variables affecting gender stereotype use, and provide insight into the benefits of examining subcultures in gender stereotyping research.