SEXISM AS A DUAL CULTURE: FROM PROTECTION TO SUBMISSION

Abstract

This article analyzes sexism as an ambivalent cultural construct, characterized by the coexistence of discourses of female protection and socially legitimized mechanisms of submission. It is based on the understanding that patriarchy has historically developed subtle forms of domination that operate not only through explicit violence, but also through the idealization of women as fragile, morally inferior, and dependent on male care. Grounded in the theoretical contributions of Simone de Beauvoir, Pierre Bourdieu, Heleieth Saffioti, Judith Butler, bell hooks, Peter Glick, Susan Fiske, Marcia Tiburi, and Guacira Lopes Louro, this study brings to the forefront of discussion how benevolent sexism acts in the naturalization of gender inequalities and the maintenance of symbolic control over female bodies and behaviors. Furthermore, it analyzes the continuity of these structures in contemporary times, especially through affective relationships, education, and social networks. It concludes that protective discourse frequently masks power relations, making female submission socially acceptable and culturally reproduced.