Chapter 28 Summary

Ann E. Cudd and Leslie E. Jones explore the bases, extent, and harmful effects of sexism, which they define as the oppression of women by means of institutional, interpersonal, and unconscious forces that reinforce systemic gender inequality. These three aspects of women’s oppression mark out three distinct forms of sexism, according to the authors, corresponding to the level of explicit rules and implicit social norms; to the intentional and unintentional routine interactions between genders that are not governed by explicit rules; and to the tacit or unconscious psychological mechanisms that drive gender inequality often without the deliberate purposes of individuals who have internalized sexist attitudes.

The authors conclude with a comparative discussion of two feminist views of sexism, one premised on the fundamental similarity of men and women, the other based on emphasizing and celebrating general differences between men and women. Both schools agree that sexism is an obstacle to the flourishing of women and morally ought to be opposed by all decent people.