Should women return home? The interactive effects of sexism and economic confidence

A proposal for women to return to their traditional role of staying at home has often been offered in serious economic situations (Han & Yuan, 2008). This may suggest that the overall economic situation may affect people’s attitudes toward women being in paid employment outside the home. Glick and Fiske (1996) identified two components of sexism: hostile sexism (HS) and benevolent sexism (BS), which are present in both men and women. Because it justifies the male power structure, sexism may also affect this attitude toward women. In this study we have examined the relationship between sexism and attitude toward women resuming their traditional role of staying at home, and the moderating effects of economic confidence.