Be a ‘Good Girl’: The Durability and Enigmatic Nature of Benevolent Sexism as a Form of Performative Kindness

Abstract

In this chapter, the author examines benevolent sexism as a form of performative kindness. Taking a feminist polemical approach, the author illustrates how being a ‘good girl’ requires submitting to occupy a subject position that attracts benevolent sexism. Benevolent sexism focusses on gendered discourses, such as what women wear and how they act, and it can be mistakenly construed as kind or flattering attention. Such gendered discourses are designed to keep women compliant and conforming to gendered roles, while limiting their voice and agency. A case study is presented which draws on biographical and popular press resources to illustrate how three highly placed American female political leaders, Francis Perkins, Federal Labor Secretary (1933–1945), Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State (2009–2013), and Kamala Harris, Vice President (2021–current), contend with sexism and public interest in their mode of dress and role as mothers. The author demonstrates how these women are punished with hostile sexism, historically and contemporarily, requiring them to tenuously negotiate between accepting benevolent sexism to avoid hostile sexism.

Citation

Williams, K.S. (2022), "Be a ‘Good Girl’: The Durability and Enigmatic Nature of Benevolent Sexism as a Form of Performative Kindness", Thomason, M. (Ed.) Kindness in Management and Organizational Studies (Kindness at Work), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 159-170. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-157-020221011