THE EXPERIENCE AND PERCEPTIONS OF GENDER DISCRIMININATION WITHIN THE FAMILY: IMPACT ON BASIC SELF-ESTEEM AND COPING STRATEGIES
Keywords:
gender discrimination, perception of gender discrimination, family, self-esteem, coping with gender discriminationAbstract
Although women in Serbia still face different forms of discrimination in family and intimate partner relationships, they rarely perceive themselves as victims of such discrimination. Minimising the observed gender discrimination helps them to maintain a positive self image in the short run; however, in the long haul it prevents them from reacting to such acts and protecting their psychological wellbeing. In this paper we examine the discrepancy between personal experiences and subjective perception of gender discrimination in family and intimate partner relationships, as well as the connection between the perception of such treatment and basic self-esteem and strategies of coping with gender discrimination. Data are collected from a suitable sample of 273 women aged between 19 and 62, from different parts of Serbia, using the following instruments: The perception of personal gender discrimination, Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale, The list of instances of gender discrimination, and Coping with gender discrimination. The findings confirm the discrepancy between the level of perceived and experienced gender discrimination. Although women do not see themselves as discriminated, their experiences testify to frequent discrimination in family and intimate partner relationships. The results indicate the correlation between the perception of personal discrimination within the family and the women’s lower self-esteem in adulthood. At the same time, the preserved self-esteem is one of the variables measured in this study, which presupposes the use of active strategies in coping with such experiences. The findings confirm the psychological dynamics of vicious cycle of discrimination within family relationships: recognising gender discrimination undermines a woman’s self-esteem and passivises her; it makes her liable to new and more severe acts of discrimination which then further undermines her self-esteem and contributes to her passivity. Educational programmes are essential in the prevention of gender based violence, aiming to raise awareness in the general public of the diverse and more discrete forms of gender discrimination in all spheres of life.
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