Are Bearded Men More Sexist?
New research suggests that men who grow out their facial hair hold more hostile sexist views than clean-shaven men.
Psychologists in Australia have discovered that men who choose to grow a beard are more sexist than their clean-shaven peers.
The researchers had men in the USA and India complete a brief survey about sexist attitudes. Next, they split men into two groups, with clean-shaven men in one group and moustachioed, goateed, and bushy bearded men in the other.
They then compared the sexism scores of men with no facial hair to those of men with any facial hair. The hairy men scored higher on hostile sexism but not benevolent sexism.
Hostile sexist attitudes include the idea that women are inferior to men, and men who score high on hostile sexism more strongly agree with statements such as “Once a woman gets a man to commit to her, she usually tries to put him on a tight leash”, or “Women seek to gain power by getting control over men”. Benevolent sexism is characterised by protective paternalism and complimentary gender differentiation, and support for statements such as “Women should be cherished and protected by men”.
Writing in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, the researchers argue that other variables cannot fully explain the relationship between hirsuteness and sexism.
“After controlling for nationality, age, education level, relationship status, and sexual orientation, men with facial hair scored significantly higher on hostile sexism than clean shaven men. Furthermore, hostile sexist attitudes and nationality were the only significant predictors of whether or not men chose to grow facial hair,” write Julian Oldmeadow and Barnaby Dixson.
Indian men, 86% of whom had facial hair, scored higher on sexism than American men (65% had facial hair). Increasing education was associated with more benevolent sexism but less hostile sexism.
The researchers speculate that men who hold sexist views may choose to grow out their beards because a hairy face highlights the differences between the sexes. “Facial hair may appeal to hostile sexist males because it maximizes facial masculinity and augments perceived dominance,” they write. Previous research has shown that men who are driven to develop a more muscular physique also hold more sexist attitudes.
Another possibility is that wearing facial hair causes men to adopt sexist attitudes. Bearded men are rated as more masculine, mature, dominant, and aggressive. These social perceptions may lead men with beards to behave according to masculine norms, and to more readily endorse hostile sexist attitudes.
Dixson’s previous research on male facial hair has shown that men who are clean-shaven or wear light stubble are more attractive than men with beards, and that the current trend for bushy “hipster” beards may be on the way out due to “negative-frequency-dependent sexual selection”, which describes how traits plummet in appeal when we encounter them more often.
Oldmeadow, J. A., & Dixson, B. J. (in press). The association between men’s sexist attitudes and facial hair. Archives of Sexual Behavior. Read summary.
