ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Cultural Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1585199
This article is part of the Research TopicFacing contemporary antifeminism: a call for intersectionalityView all articles
The Rise of Antifeminist Perspectives Among Future Educators: A Growing Concern?
Provisionally accepted
- University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
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Introduction: Antifeminist discourses have historically emerged in response to feminist advancements. In Spain, the past decade has seen significant feminist progress, yet antifeminist rhetoric has simultaneously gained traction, particularly among younger populations. This study examines the antifeminist narratives present among university students in education programs, a critical demographic as future educators play a key role in shaping social attitudes. Methods: A free association exercise was conducted with 252 students enrolled in education programs. The collected textual data were analyzed using Iramuteq software, applying lexical analysis techniques to identify dominant antifeminist discourses. Results: The findings indicate that the most prominent antifeminist narratives among participants center on feminist principles, salary aspirations, perceived disparities in rights, household chores, and the alleged provocative behavior of women. Notably, frequently cited statements include "Feminism does not seek equality" and "They expect to be paid the same", reflecting common misconceptions about feminism. Despite expressing support for gender equality, participants were less likely to selfidentify as feminists. Discussion: These findings highlight the contradictions within young adults' perceptions of feminism and gender equality. The persistence of antifeminist narratives within future educators underscores the need to address these discourses in academic settings. Integrating feminist pedagogies into teacher training programs is essential to fostering a more equitable and informed educational environment. Conclusion: This study underscores the necessity of actively confronting antifeminist rhetoric within educational institutions to ensure that future educators contribute to gender equality rather than perpetuate misconceptions.
Keywords: Feminism, antifeminism, university students, educators, Gender perspective
Received: 18 Mar 2025; Accepted: 21 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Idoiaga Mondragon, Legorburu, Picaza and Alonso Saez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nahia Idoiaga Mondragon, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
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