Organization or Publication
American Political Science Review
I propose a conceptualization of political misogyny that centers around nasty claim making. As such, this conceptualization provides the theoretical connective tissue (and thereby a causal pathway) between gendered discourse in politics and structural inequalities between men and women in politics as well as those between different groups of women. Political misogyny, as I conceive it, is a complex and dynamic phenomenon with three essential components: (1) political elites advance nasty claims about high-profile women in politics, (2) those nasty claims connect with and/or activate conscious and unconscious prejudices regarding women in politics, and (3) the audience receives and accepts the nasty claims as their own. Although some of these three components can occur without the others, each component is necessary, and the three are jointly sufficient, for political misogyny to be realized.
The aim of this article is not to provide an exhaustive account of all forms of misogyny at work in politics. Nor does it explain how nasty claims negatively affect every marginalized group. Rather, it aspires only to identify one possible pathway through which nasty claims can propagate hateful and repugnant associations with women’s collective political identities, impact political behavior that sustains male dominance in politics, and distribute unevenly the fury that certain women bear. It sketches an account of how certain actions and words of elites can erect structural barriers, for example, by fueling a gendered form of negative partisanship, and thereby support existing gender hierarchies. (p. 1054)
Individual Author(s): Dovi, Suzanne
Source title: “On Political Misogyny”
DOI / ISBN / Link: doi:10.1017/S0003055424000777
Source type: Journal article
Country: USA
Year: 2025
Tags: Scholarly
Find it at UCLA: https://search.library.ucla.edu/permalink/01UCS_LAL/192ecse/cdi_proquest_journals_3202379221
Blackburn Center
Misogyny is an extreme form of sexism that is often defined as the hatred of women. A person with misogynistic beliefs may not be aware that they are demonstrating a hatred towards women — or even believe that they hate women — but their behavior and words expose prejudice, disdain of, or hostility to women. In societies where misogyny is prevalent, there are often high rates of violence towards women. Women may be seen as property or second-class citizens, and mistreated at both the individual and institutional level as a result. For example, a woman who is abused by a spouse (individual level) may be told by a police officer that they won’t bring charges against her husband because it’s a family matter (institutional level). Other views of misogyny define it as a way of controlling or punishing women who challenge male dominance.
Source title: “What is Misogyny?”
DOI / ISBN / Link: https://www.blackburncenter.org/post/2019/08/14/what-is-misogyny
Source type: Web article
Country: USA
Year: 2019
Tags: Educational | Advocacy | Nonprofit
Britannica Online
[H]atred or prejudice against women, typically exhibited by men. It is generally accepted that misogyny is a consequence of patriarchy (male-dominated society), and the term may be applied to certain individuals as well as larger systems, societies, or cultures.
Link / DOI / ISBN: https://www.britannica.com/topic/misogyny
Source Type: Reference
Country: USA
Year: 2025
Tags: Educational
Easy Sociology
Misogyny is derived from the Greek words “misein” (to hate) and “gyne” (woman). It refers to a deep-rooted prejudice and contempt towards women, often resulting in discrimination, objectification, and violence against them. The origins of misogyny can be traced back to patriarchal societies that have historically valued men’s dominance and control over women.
Misogyny manifests in various ways, both overt and subtle, and can be found in different spheres of life. Some common manifestations include:
Stereotyping: Women are often stereotyped as weak, emotional, and irrational, reinforcing gender roles and limiting their opportunities.
Objectification: Women are objectified and reduced to their physical appearance, valued primarily for their attractiveness rather than their skills or intellect.
Sexualization: Women’s bodies are often hypersexualized and treated as objects of desire, leading to the commodification of women’s sexuality.
Violence: Misogyny can escalate to physical, sexual, and emotional violence against women, perpetuating a cycle of fear and oppression.
Discrimination: Women face discrimination in various areas, including employment, education, and politics, limiting their access to opportunities and resources.
Source title: “Understanding Misogyny: An Outline and Explanation”
DOI / ISBN / Link: https://easysociology.com/sociology-of-inequalities/understanding-misogyny-an-outline-and-explanation/
Source type: Web article
Country: USA
Year: 2024
Tags: Educational
Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence
Misogyny is the hatred of women. Misogyny also refers to contempt for the qualities that are associated with femininity, whether exhibited by women or by men. Misogyny is synonymous with sexism. It is relevant to interpersonal violence because antipathy toward women shapes the forms, meanings, and motives for violence as well as the responses to it. Misogyny also influences the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and the structure of social institutions in patriarchal cultures. Although the relevance of misogyny may be most readily apparent in the dynamics of woman abuse, it has also been linked by the research to additional forms of violence.
By men’s own accounts, misogyny is an important ingredient in much of their violence. The dehumanization of victims is one part of the perpetration of violence, and misogyny contributes to the dehumanization of women and gay men, increasing their risk of experiencing particular types of violence. Likewise, misogyny is one of the motives for violence for many men, shaping the forms of the violence they choose as well as their selection of targets. (p. 454)
Individual Author(s):Dragiewicz, Molly
DOI / ISBN / Link: 978-1-4129-1800-8
Source type: Reference
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Tags: Educational | Scholarly
Find it at UCLA: https://search.library.ucla.edu/permalink/01UCS_LAL/17p22dp/alma9960920563606533
Greater London Authority
- Objectifying women.
- Belittling women or girls in conversation, such as using sexist nicknames or using derogatory remarks. Seeking to control women’s behaviour.
- Using intimidating or humiliating behaviour to destroy a woman’s self-confidence and undermine her.
- Discriminating against women, for example a woman is not offered a job that she is qualified for because she is a woman or it is assumed that a woman can’t do something because she is a woman.
- Having double standards where men are viewed in a lenient way and women tend to be criticised.
- Treating women differently from men in social and professional settings.
- Threatening, aggressive, intimidating, or violent behaviour.
- Pursuing unwanted sexual comments or advances, including catcalling, stalking, staring, touching, taking pictures without consent, exposure to sexual assault and rape.
- Controlling, confident and self-centred behaviour, as well as competitive.
Link / DOI / ISBN: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-misogyny
Document Type: Web article
Tags: Educational | Governmental
Country: UK
Industrial Psychiatry Journal
The term “misogyny” is derived from the Ancient Greek word “mīsoguníā” which means hatred towards women. Misogyny has taken shape in multiple forms such as male privilege, patriarchy, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification. The roots of misogyny can be traced back to ancient Greek mythology. According to Hesiod before women came into existence, men were coexisting peacefully as companions to Gods until Prometheus decided to steal the secret of fire from the God which angered Zeus. Zeus punished mankind with an evil thing for their delight called Pandora, the first woman who carried a box which unleashed all evils such as labor, sickness, old age, and death.
As mythology spilled its vices about women, every religion had their own viewpoint. Hinduism presents diverse view about the position of women and some text place women as the highest goddess and some restrict them to the role of a mother, daughter and wife, as described in Manusmriti. Tertullian, the father of Latin Christianity, said that being a female is a curse given by God and they are the Devil’s Gateway. In Islam, the holy book Quran has a 4th chapter called An-Nisa meaning Women. The 34th verse is a key verse in feminist criticism of Islam which reads: Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient… But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance-[ first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them.
Misogyny over years has evolved as an ideology which has engulfed the society as a smog which diminishes their site to aurora. Great philosophers, socialist, and thinkers of golden era were subdued by roars of male dominant society which narrowed their vision and made them a supporter of patriarchal society. Aristotle who was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist was also a misogynist. He thought of women as a deformity, an incomplete male. He preached that men should always command and women should follow as they are the inferior being created by God. Misogyny at its front had male supporters, but over years, few females also supported the ideology as stated by Sociologist Michael Flood.
Over centuries, women have been suppressed, their rights were neglected as a human being, they were treated as an lower part of the society, and their roles were restricted to household chores and birthing. Prolonged oppression raised many voices and collectively led to a concept of feminism which started the longest movement in history which still continues. (pp. 111-113)
Individual Author(s): Srivastava, K., Chaudhury, S., Bhat, P.S., Sahu, S.
Source title: “Misogyny, feminism, and sexual harassment”
DOI / ISBN / Link:doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_32_18
Source type: Journal article
Country: India
Year: 2017
Tags: Scholarly
Psychology Today
There seems to be a lot of confusion about what exactly misogyny is (see comment section here). Is it simply hatred toward women? Or is it something different altogether?
No, misogyny is not simply hatred toward women. Imagine a society in which there are only 10 women. The 10 women gang rape Mr. Smith. As a result Mr. Smith justifiably comes to hate the 10 women. But they are all the women there are. So, Mr. Smith hates all women. But he is not thereby a misogynist.
Misogyny involves hatred toward women or a type of woman for a particular reason. The reason is that the women the hatred is directed toward don’t act in accordance with beliefs the misogynist has about how women should think and behave.
What are those beliefs? They are beliefs relating to the alleged inferiority of women compared to men; for example, beliefs that women should be sexually available on demand and that they ought to dote on men and be loving mothers and wives.
Since most women don’t conform to those standards, at least in the U.S., the misogynist develops hatred towards them—in some cases, it’s hatred toward all women, but in most cases, it’s hatred only toward women who don’t act as the misogynist wants them to: as if they are inferior to men. This is why you will hear misogynists defend themselves with bad excuses, such as “I don’t hate women. I love my mom and my sister. They do everything for me.”
But can you be a misogynist without hating women? The answer is “yes.” Imagine a society in which all women are subordinate, doting wives, much like in the movie The Stepford Wives. In this society, men don’t hate women. They love them! They love them because the women behave like the “wives” of the 1950s commercials. They cook, bake, scrub, dress like 1950s Barbie dolls and dote on their men.
But now let’s assume that, if the wives were to begin to object to their subordination, then the men would start hating the women and perhaps even come to hate all women as a result. Although the men don’t actually hate any women in our envisaged scenario, they would if the women behaved differently. It’s clear that the men are still misogynists in this scenario, despite having no actual hatred toward women.
My initial question was “Is misogyny simply hatred toward women?” The answer is a loud and clear “no.” A misogynist is not simply a person who hates women. It’s a person who does, or would, hate women who are not subordinate—women with power and status, who can stand up for themselves and make their own decisions.
Individual Author(s):Brogaard, Berit
Source title: “What Is Misogyny, Anyway?”
DOI / ISBN / Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mysteries-love/201503/what-is-misogyny-anyway
Source type: Web article
Country: USA
Year: 2015
Tags: Educational
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