Reading the news about United States president-elect Donald Trump's picks for cabinet positions, one might wonder why so many of his choices include men accused of sexually abusing women and girls, such as Elon Musk, Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , as well as a woman alleged to have enabled such abuse, Linda McMahon .
Author
- Jennifer L. Berdahl
Professor of Sociology, University of British Columbia
Even if accidental, choosing potential cabinet members who have sexual abuse allegations against them seems a strange coincidence, and apparently a bridge too far for more moderate Republicans in the U.S. Senate in regards to Gaetz's stymied candidacy.
The Florida congressman took himself out of consideration to become the next U.S. attorney general because he said the allegations against him involving underage girls were becoming "a distraction," thought it was clear Republican senators were going to vote against Trump's pick.
Any suggestion, however, that the allegations are being exaggerated for use as political weapons to take down Republican nominees is unfounded given a majority of Americans voted for a man accused by dozens of women of sexual abuse, found liable for sexual abuse and on the record as advocating sexual assault.
Given how ineffective a political strategy that would be, it also wouldn't be worth the cost to the victims who would have to come forward to be retraumatized, smeared and threatened with violence, as they often are in high-profile cases .
'Hegemonic masculinity'
Research may help explain why so many of Trump's cabinet picks are accused of sexual abuse - the behaviour aligns with the ideology of male dominance integral to the world view of Trump and his voters .
People who voted for Trump had a variety of reasons for their choice, but one thing they seemingly have in common is the embrace of a cultural ideology known as hegemonic masculinity . It legitimizes the dominance of a ruling group of men over women and over marginalized men (for example, those who are poor, working class, immigrant, racialized, queer or disabled).
This ideology celebrates characteristics associated with men in power, which in the U.S. includes whiteness, wealth and virility. Most of all, however, this ideology reveres dominance, reviles "weakness" (doubt, empathy or emotions other than pride and anger) and embraces being ruthless (crushing the competition by any means necessary).
Anyone failing these criteria is deemed a loser and a weakling, relegated to the bench in the game of power, perhaps serving as a cheerleader or a water boy. Men more than women endorse hegemonic masculinity. But there are millions of women and men who filled the stands to cheer on Trump and his team, endorsing this ideology over and above gender, race, education and even political party to ensure his victory .
Hegemonic masculinity also justifies male dominance and control over women and girls. Most viscerally, this includes dominance and control over the bodies of women and girls, both sexually and in terms of reproductive rights . The ideology encourages men to use their power to " protect women " who obey them, and abuse women who don't .
Toxic leaders
Unsurprisingly, organizations rooted in this ideology witness much higher rates of sexual harassment than other employers. When these organizations venerate hegemonic masculinity, they exhibit " masculinity contest cultures " that reward out-competing others in a zero-sum game of dominance.
They have toxic leaders who make it a habit to deceive, intimidate and coerce others to get their way. Sound familiar?
Organizations with masculinity contest cultures also have few women in positions of power ; the few who exist are likely to throw other women under the bus .
Importantly, these organizational cultures have high rates of sexual harassment , including bullying , based on sex and gender.
Examples of masculinity contest cultures abound in high-stakes male-dominated industries and realms. There have been allegations of sexual harassment or sexist leadership at Uber , Amazon and on Wall Street . Those who lose the masculinity contest are useful as props for dominance displays and treated as collateral damage.
The men most likely to commit sexual harassment and abuse are those who subscribe to sexist attitudes and believe social inequality between groups is natural and justified.
Dark Triad traits
More ominously, recent studies show that men who score high in Dark Triad traits - Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy - are especially likely to sexually coerce and harass women .
Of these traits, psychopathy is the strongest predictor of a man's proclivity to sexually harass, especially when he operates in an organization defined by masculinity contest culture.
Not only are psychopaths more common in such cultures - both perhaps because they are drawn to them and because they help shape them - but psychopaths fit perfectly with the characteristics of hegemonic masculinity so valued and rewarded in these cultures: a lack of empathy and remorse, and a penchant for ruthless ambition.
And so we find ourselves in the current predicament, with an incoming U.S. president and his potential cabinet sharing a track record of sexual abuse allegations and cover-ups. The individual and organizational characteristics that accompany such behaviour don't bode well for the world.
Jennifer L. Berdahl receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
