Empowering Minds and Breaking Chains: Does Feminist Activity and Other Coping Reduce the Harm of Internalized Misogyny?

This study examined the potential moderating role of four types of coping—avoiding and denying problems, reacting to problems with strong emotions, making changes to solve problems, and engaging in feminist activities—on the relationship between women’s internalized misogyny and psychological distress. In essence, do these coping strategies mitigate the psychological harm of internalized misogyny? Although moderation analyses determined that none of the coping strategies mitigated the psychological distress resulting from internalized misogyny, these results should be interpreted with caution (i.e., the current sample is underpowered, and the study will be extended to obtain a larger sample). Using an online sample of 100 self-identified women at the University of Windsor, correlation analysis results indicated that some coping strategies may be helpful in mitigating the negative consequences of internalized misogyny and psychological distress. Specifically, with support from previous research findings (Szymanski & Henrichs-Beck, 2014), it is suggested that: a) Reflective coping may help reduce internalized misogyny and psychological distress b) Suppressive and reactive coping appear to increase internalized misogyny and psychological distress Lastly, contrary to expectations, feminist group-level coping did not appear to reduce psychological distress, but it may help reduce internalized misogyny.