Sexual objectification in education: how do teachers perceive and evaluate students?

Sexually objectifying work environments and affective commitment in a sample of Italian waitresses: The mediating role of anxiety and job satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Sexual objectification can assume various forms, from interpersonal to cultural and environmental ones. Previous research has highlighted how working in sexually objectifying environments (SOEs) can lead female workers to experience negative feelings (i.e. anxiety, job dissatisfaction). The study's main aim was to investigate the relationships between sexually objectifying work environments, job satisfaction, anxiety, and affective commitment.

DESIGN AND METHOD

In this study, we investigated the role of working in sexually objectifying environments (i.e. bars and pubs) in triggering female workers' (i.e. waitresses) feelings of anxiety and in decreasing their job satisfaction and their affective organizational commitment. Our hypothesis was tested through a mediation model with a sample of (N = 546) Italian restaurant/bar waitresses.

RESULTS

The results supported a model in which sexually objectifying environments had a direct effect on job satisfaction and both direct and indirect effects on anxiety. Further, sexually objectifying environments indirectly affected affective commitment through both anxiety and job satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

Working in a perceived sexually objectified environment can raise waitresses' feelings of anxiety and job satisfaction. These feelings, in turn, negatively affect workers' affective commitment toward their workplace. The limitations and implications of this study were discussed. The main implication concerns the need to implement people's awareness of the existence of SOEs and the harmful effects they may have on women.

To be assertive or not to be assertive: That is the question! Students' reactions to sexual harassment in academia

Introduction

In the literature, no integrated definition of sexual harassment (SH) occurs but there is clear unanimity about SH being offensive, humiliating, and intimidating behavior. Within academic settings, SH has severe negative effects on students' physical or emotional wellbeing as well as on their ability to succeed academically.

Methods

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sex, gender roles, and the ways to manage SH (assertive and nonassertive reactions) in university students. It was hypothesized that female students would report more nonassertive reactions compared to male students. In addition, following the Bem theory on gender roles and using the self-report tool by the same author, it is hypothesized that female and male students, who are classified as feminine, will report more nonassertive responses, whereas male and female students, who are classified as masculine, will report more assertive responses. Our hypothesis was tested with a sample of 1,415 university students (593 men, 41.9%, and 822 women, 58.1%) who completed a questionnaire approved by the local ethical review board for research from the end of January 2019 to the first half of February 2019.

Results

Contrary to our hypothesis, results showed that women react more than men in both assertive and nonassertive modalities. In addition, our results confirmed the main effect of both sex and gender roles on students' assertive and nonassertive reactions to SH in academia.

Conclusion

Educational programs about SH may prove useful in preventing its occurrence. Gender equality plans in academia can improve a nonsexist and safe environment for students. It is urgent to improve transparency and accountability of policies on the management of SH: academic institutions need to formulate a procedure to facilitate SH reporting, considering the sensitive balance of confidentiality and transparency issues. Support for the victims (social services, healthcare, legal representation, and advice concerning career/professional development) must be included.

The (Female) Graduate: Choice and Consequences of Women's Clothing

This research investigates how female students choose their graduation outfit and how clothing affects observers’ judgments. In Study 1, we manipulated the students’ graduation outfit so as to look professional or sexy. Female peers, adults, and professors formed a first impression about the students, their thesis work and guessed their graduation scores (thesis points and final mark). All participant groups judged the professionally dressed students as more competent, as having put more effort in their thesis, and as having obtained better scores than when the same students dressed sexy. In Studies 2 and 3 we replicated previous findings by using photos portraying real students in their actual graduation outfits. We found that sexy clothing, considered inappropriate for the occasion, affected estimated and actual graduation scores negatively and that this effect was mediated by perceived incompetence. Results are discussed with respect to women’s evaluation on the basis of their appearance.