Masculinity threat: understanding why Jamaican men report more anti-gay prejudice than Jamaican women

ABSTRACT

Jamaica is a developing country known for its high levels of sexual prejudice. Additionally, prior research has shown that Jamaican men reliably report more anti-gay prejudice than Jamaican women do. This study investigated potential explanations for these gender differences. Using a large, diverse data set (N = 659), we found that Jamaican men reported more anti-gay behaviour than women did, but this difference was largest under conditions of lower income, less education and younger age. Also, in line with our hypotheses, religiosity and preferences for dancehall music did not moderate the effects of gender on anti-gay behaviour. These findings suggest that Jamaican men’s anti-gay prejudice may be driven, at least in part, by motivations to bolster their masculinity in the face of underlying contemporary threats. Implications for anti-gay prejudice and prejudice-reducing interventions are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender differences
• sexual prejudice
• prejudice against gay people
• masculinity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Martha Lucia Borras Guevara

Dr. Martha Lucia Borras Guevara is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London. She holds a PhD in Psychology from St Andrews University, an MSc in Evolutionary Anthropology from Durham University and a BSc in Biology from Universidad de Los Andes. Martha’s PhD mainly focused on understanding the social factors that influence facial preferences. More specifically, her PhD examined the effects of different types of violence (public and domestic) on formidability preferences for potential partners and/or allies. Her research interests cover a wide range of topics, including social and evolutionary explanations of human behaviour, as well as ways to reduce prejudice against social minorities.

Keon West

Dr. Keon West is a Reader in Social Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, and the director of Equalab – a group committed to conducting and disseminating research on prejudice and prejudice reduction. After earning his doctorate in experimental psychology from Oxford University in 2010, he worked for a number of other universities before coming to Goldsmiths in 2013. His research covers many diverse areas of intergroup relations and communication. In recent years, his publications have focused on gender roles, sexism, anti-LGBT prejudice, and specific prejudice-reducing interventions. He is the recent recipient of the Michele Alexander Award for Scholarship and Service (2015), the SPSSI Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring (2017), and a European Research Council Starting Grant (value: €746,000.000).