Positive views of the #Tradwife movement linked to higher levels of sexism among men

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Men who generally perceive women through a negative lens tend to be the most likely to positively view the #tradwife movement, says the findings of the world's first study into men's attitudes surrounding the increasingly popular social media trend.

Tradwives are social media influencers who advocate for a return to traditional gender-role norms in heterosexual marriage.

A UNLV-led study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly found that men with higher levels of "hostile sexism"—or those who espouse negative, adversarial perceptions of women in general—are particularly likely to support the #tradwife movement relative to other men. The paper is titled "Ambivalent Sexism Theory as a Framework for Understanding Men's Attitudes About the #Tradwife Movement."

Researchers say that's because men who are high in hostile sexism tend to believe most firmly in adhering to gender roles, and thus support tradwives' messaging.

But on the flip side, the scientists said, these individuals also begrudge and derogate the women who fulfill traditional roles because at the core of their worldview is a belief that women use sex to manipulate, control, and undermine men's power.

The researchers also tested links between men's support of the #tradwife movement and "benevolently" sexist attitudes rooted in chivalry, but found these links to be weaker than those involving hostile sexism.

The data surprised lead author, UNLV professor, and developmental psychologist Rachael D. Robnett, and her co-author, Matthew Hammond of Victoria University of Wellington.

"Our findings suggest that men who perceive the #tradwife movement favorably believe that they rely on women for intimacy and simultaneously resent that this is the case; this finding runs counter to social media portrayals of the tradwife lifestyle, which tend to emphasize subtle forms of sexism that are more aligned with chivalry," Robnett explained.

"This mentality could put tradwives in a precarious position, considering the personal and financial autonomy that they yield to their husbands."

When the 2020 pandemic lockdown placed home activities and social media binging front and center in many Americans' lives, influencers who identify as tradwives (a combination of traditional + wife) began to gain popularity by posting idealized images of their homemaker role that invoke a sense of simplicity and 1950s nostalgia.

Many tradwives—who tend to be white, politically conservative, religious, and between the ages of 20 and 30—also emphasize the importance of submitting to and "spoiling" their husbands.

Robnett and Hammond surveyed 595 U.S. men ages 18 to 29 about their familiarity and attitudes surrounding the movement, and whether sociodemographics like political and religious affiliation or race play a role.

Researchers initially hypothesized that the subtle and seemingly well-intentioned views aligned with benevolent sexism would explain the views of men with favorable impressions of tradwives.

Instead, the team found that hostile sexism played a powerful role in men's positive views of the #tradwife movement. This includes derisive and derogatory descriptions of women's caretaking role as "easier than the breadwinning role" and exploitative of their husbands' provisions.

The link between hostile sexism and positive tradwife attitudes persisted across demographic background, political affiliation, religiosity, and other forms of sexism. Although several of these control variables were statistically associated with men's tradwife attitudes, hostile sexism played the most prominent role in the statistical model.

The study found that the centrality of religion in men's daily lives (regardless of specific affiliation) and being married were also key factors in predicting whether men supported the #tradwife movement.

Publication details

Rachael D. Robnett et al, Ambivalent Sexism Theory as a Framework for Understanding Men's Attitudes About the #Tradwife Movement, Psychology of Women Quarterly (2026). DOI: 10.1177/03616843261433199

Journal information: Psychology of Women Quarterly

Provided by University of Nevada, Las Vegas