We've known for decades Unconscious bias Our perceptions of men and women in the workplace are shaped by biases, but what happens when we bring those biases into the voting booth for a presidential election?
Of course, since Vice President Harris is only the second woman to seek the presidency after Hillary Clinton, there isn't much data to rely on. Unsuccessful bid 2016. Further complicating this issue is the fact that we can’t simply ask Americans whether they think gender matters in presidential elections, because how we identify with gender is largely unconscious.
for example, Pew Poll A survey last year found that most Americans believe gender doesn't matter when it comes to the job of the president. Of the minority who believe it does matter, most believe women would be better in the Oval Office than men in many ways. For example, this group believes a female president would behave more ethically and work better under pressure than a man.
But decades of research on unconscious bias suggests these polls can't be taken at face value.
Want some proof? Consider this: Well-known experiment The study, conducted by Frank Flynn and Cameron Anderson of Columbia Business School and New York University, asked business school students to evaluate the resumes of highly successful female entrepreneurs, except one group was shown the candidate's real name, Heidi, and the other group was shown the candidate's male name, Howard.
The results were surprising, at least when the experiment was conducted in 2003: both groups of students viewed the candidates as highly competent, but Heidi came across as aggressive and selfish, while Howard was seen as likable.
Studies like Flynn's and Anderson's reveal a frustrating reality: Women, especially those in leadership positions, are often perceived as competent but cold, or good-natured but incompetent. In contrast, when men are perceived as good-natured, their intelligence is rarely questioned. Men are typically not perceived as cold, even when they are competent and strict. Of course, this doesn't happen consciously.
We saw this sexism first-hand in 2016 when Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win a major party's presidential nomination.
Much of the criticism leveled at Clinton was directed at her personality, not her policies: she was mocked for being over-prepared and scripted during the debates. She didn't laugh enough“That's what some say,” Elaine Kamark, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told the Guardian. pointed out Clinton “reminds people of their mothers or teachers they didn't like at school”
In the eyes of American voters, Clinton appeared calm and competent.
Of course, with only a single sample size, it's difficult to attribute Americans' views of Clinton solely to gender bias, even if she does seem to fit neatly into the framework of ruthless ableist versus mild-mannered incompetent.
So what to make of Harris' early campaigning?
Unlike Clinton, the vice president is unashamedly warm. Her campaign has strategically focused on ““Joy” and “good vibes”She laughs loudly. Just like her mother, she Say it proudlyShe embraced her granddaughters and entertained voters. Stories of quality time spent togetherWe're sitting around the kitchen table eating bacon.
And already many Republicans have written Harris off as meek and incompetent. Excellent Qualifications.
One of the pillars of Donald Trump's new smear campaign against Harris is the Racism and sexism Trump said Harris' comments were an attack on her intelligence. “Stupid as a stone” And this message appears to be resonating with at least some right-wing voters and commentators.
For example, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro said, Tweeted“The dirty secret of the Kamala Harris campaign is that Kamala Harris is a stupid person,” Harris said. The first big interview He appeared with CNN's Dana Bash as the Democratic candidate.
While criticism of Harris's intelligence may be warranted, we should at least be aware of the patterns that seem to be emerging and how they seem to confirm what researchers have been saying about unconscious sexism for decades.
Moreover, one wonders why his criticisms of Clinton's callousness and Harris's incompetence resonated so much when now those same criticisms of their shared political opponentsTeflon Don — it just bounces off of him, apparently.
After all, Trump is lying to the voters. alwaysHe also Publicly ridiculed Journalists with disabilities molesting a woman And for no particular reason, Disrespecting Medal of Honor recipients Having been wounded in battle, he Instigated a riot The breach of the Capitol building delayed the certification of the 2020 election and threatened more than 230 years of American democracy.
It's quite cold.
And Trump A ridiculous proposal For COVID treatment, Confusing 9/11 with 7/11It's called Thailand “Thailand” “I just got back from the Middle East,” he said. Upon arriving in Israel From Saudi Arabia.
That's really incompetent.
One wonders whether the race would still be deadlocked if Trump had been a woman and Harris a man.
Jonah Prawski is a management consultant and freelance writer based in Toronto, Canada.
