The ‘Reverse Sexism’ Thesis: A Re-appraisal

Abstract

This article attempts to identify, in the context of the contemporary debate on discrimination, the meanings attributed to the term ‘reverse sexism’, which concerns the broader social phenomenon of sexism. It examines how the rhetoric of reverse sexism has been shaped historically, highlights aspects of the criticism that it has received, and describes the field in which it is currently being reproduced. Upon this basis, it is proposed that ‘reverse sexism’ should be rejected as an inadequate conceptualization for describing discrimination against men. At the same time, it is suggested that it could be replaced by the concept of ‘sexist offsetting’.