The Psychology of Misogyny & Misogynistic People

Most of us are familiar with the term “misogyny.” Today, we regularly hear it in conversation. And we regularly see it all over social media. And yet, misogyny, or misogynist, is largely misunderstood. The dictionary defines misogyny as a hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women, said Jill A. Stoddard, PhD, a psychologist and director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management in San Diego. The word, she noted, has Greek origins: “misein,” meaning “to hate,” and gynē, meaning “woman.” However, misogyny goes beyond despising all or even most women. Rather, “misogyny is hostility toward the women who threaten to remove the male status as superior to women,” said Stoddard, author of the book Be Mighty: A Woman’s Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance. “In other words, men in a patriarchy do what they want, when they want, how they want, and women are expected to support and promote those entitlements,” she said. The Many Faces of Misogyny What does misogyny look like? According to Stoddard, “incels,” a group of “involuntary celibates,” are a clear example. “They see women as objects and feel entitled to engage in sexual interactions with them. They believe women who reject them are evil and do not take responsibility for their role in being rejected by women—that role being their sexist attitudes toward women.” However, misogyny isn’t restricted to men. Anyone can be a misogynist, said Joa...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: General Men's Issues Psychology Women's Issues misogyny sexism Source Type: blogs