While researching why some countries are more egalitarian than others on gender issues, British social scientist Alice Evans realized that, between (born between 1997 and 2010), more conservative women and men.
Researcher at King’s College, Evans found a unique answer, but indicated one of its causes. In the cafeteria of a hotel in the south of São Paulo, while giving an interview to SheetHe pointed the table next door, in which three people remained silent, and noted that they were all concentrated on their cell phones.
“Each one is closed on his bubble through smartphones, in separate ideological cameras, and this may be polarizing things, even politically,” he said.
Excessive use of social networks makes people increasingly immersed in ideological bubbles, called “echo cameras”, in which the same views circulate, he explained. While women empowered to gain more space than previous generations have had, men receive content that point to female rise in various areas as a reason for male failure.
According to Evans, in Brazil the scenario is different. There is an increase in conservative young men and women, guided mainly by the expansion of evangelical churches, in a movement prior to the election of () in 2018.
“Conservatism has not emerged with the Bolsonaro government, there is a wider wave and prior to it, which grew up with evangelicals. Where there are evangelicals, there is no strong feminist movement,” he said.
Why is there still gender disparity in Brazil?
This varies between the elites and the less favored layers. In Brazil, poor women live in needy neighborhoods, with poor transport and without good jobs. A poor man will hardly get a well -paid job if he needs to leave in the middle of his work to pick up his child at school. Instead, she will work in a small business or informality. Already an elite woman, despite the wage disparity compared to a man, can drive to work and have the help of a nanny or cleaning lady. Whenever we talk about gender, we need to talk about inequality and race.
And in the rest of the world?
In Europe, there are smaller gaps because most people have access to public schools in integral education. Another important aspect in Brazil is violence. Young people who grow in high crime places may not have a safe future: when employment prospects are minimal, crime becomes a possibility of making money. If all men around a boy are tough, he learns to be so too. And there is no way to trust the state if it is abusive, aggressive or useless.
Why are younger women increasingly progressive and men more Conservatives?Today people have access to content around the world. When I talked to young girls in Puebla, Mexico, they told me that their favorite program was “” [série do Amazon Prime]. They prefer to watch feminist series on streamings than old -fashioned soap operas that pass on TV. Smartphones allow each individual to create their own bubble and watch whatever they want, and many young women choose to watch more progressive content, while men are encouraged to watch sports such as fighting and soccer. Each is closed on its bubble through smartphones, in separate ideological cameras, and this may be polarizing things, even politically.
Does this also occur in Brazil?
I have no specific data about Brazil, but I believe the scenario is a little different here. With the increase of evangelical churches, women who frequent them tend to promote a more patriarchal discourse. Churches work in forgotten areas, help families with jobs and safety and bring a sense of community. This is important, but these same communities condemn feminism and gender discussion in schools. Conservatism did not emerge with the Bolsonaro government, there is a wider wave and before it, which grew up with evangelicals. Where there are evangelicals, there is no strong feminist movement. It is important to recognize that there are multiple scenarios in Brazil, with super progressive women as well as conservative strongholds, as well as the whole issue of structural violence.
Is the reduction in inequality and gender political polarization only if there is a reduction in violence?
The fight against violence must be a priority. It is good that Brazil has a femicide law, but as long as there is a culture of violence, there is a greater challenge. There are interventions in schools such as cognitive behavioral therapies for boys, or masculinity awareness, and this is important. The problem is that even if a boy takes a course on masculinity and deconstruction, he will return to a daily life where he needs to act as tough to protect himself. It is necessary to change the reality of people.
What did you think of Netflix’s “Adolescence” series?
You can draw parallels with Brazil, where there are influential leaders. This also goes into an economic issue. With limited employment prospects, a boy can be attracted to a speech that promises status and prosperity. This leads him to gravitate around these leaders who preach masculinity. Without status, he will be unhappy, especially if a woman is rising in a place he believes to be his.
Can political polarization between men and women be related to the low birth rate of some countries?
Yes, and it’s a crisis. Research shows that Brazilians spend about their smartphones, immersed in games, sports bets and social networks. Technology is overcoming personal relationships. If you want to go out and meet new people, how are you going to pull subject if you have not learned to do this? Men no longer see each other in the obligation to marry, and women no longer want to live the lives of their mothers and grandparents, trapped at home taking care of their children alongside husbands who do not cook or clean. As they demand more from their companions, men did not understand that their behavior needs to change. It is “leapfrogging”: women have access to more progressive and egalitarian things and want it in their daily lives. And if men are not entitled to that, they decide not to marry.
What does “leapfrogging” mean?
It is a term used in the economy for when copying and adopting a technology that is already more advanced rather than developing it slowly. It is like a cultural leap. Through the smartphone, women make this leap watching feminist content that do not yet experience in their means and adopting these postures. On the other hand, why would men consume this kind of content?
Is this movement unique to generation Z?
Young people who grew up with access to smartphones or during Covid’s pandemic lived their years of formation spending a lot of time alone in front of the screens, used to not socializing. Even though older people are also addicted to screens, they lived in an analog world, they know how to live outside the screens. Younger people have not necessarily acquired this experience. Being able to talk and flirt is a bit like mathematics: you will only be good at this if you practice.
X-ray | Alice Evans, 38
Social scientist, she is a researcher at King’s College, from London, and studies gender, urbanization, social transformations and socioeconomic inequalities. She is the author of the book “The Great Gender Divergence” (“The Great Gender Divergence”, still in production, and the “Rocking Our Prior” podcast (“Rolling our convictions”).
