ICPS study delves into the argumentation gap between boys and girls regarding equality and feminism

The study, prepared by Maria Freixanet, Jana Pous and José Berna, analyses recurrent discourses among young people on issues such as male chauvinism, feminism, egalitarian values and the relationships between these issues, and certifies a clear distance between the opinions expressed by each group.

The study was carried out between October and December 2024 using a qualitative methodology, with focus groups, working with small groups of boys and girls in their fourth year of secondary school, aged between 14 and 15 years, from nine different secondary schools in the province of Barcelona, both public and private, located in socially and economically different neighbourhoods in terms of income and not only in Barcelona city, but also in its surrounding areas. Each class group was divided into three subgroups: one of boys, one of girls and one mixed, of about 8-10 people each. A total of 239 adolescents participated. This system, with small groups, made it easier to grasp the complexity of the opinions expressed, the weight of the different arguments, and the areas of consensus.

Divergent political value systems

The main surveys of political and social opinion in recent years point to significant changes in citizen opinion on issues related to feminism and equality policies. This change is being led by the younger generations, among whom a clear distancing between the positions of men and women can be observed, much more relevant than in previous generations.

From the ICPS analysis and study of the conversations that took place in the discussion groups, several conclusions are drawn, among them the confirmation of the penetration of a neo-machist system of thought, according to the idea that “feminism made sense before, but now equality has been achieved and, therefore, current feminist actions and demands are an abuse”.

The study highlights, in this case, "the impression of being permanently faced with the enunciation of an extremely political discourse. A structured, simplified and polarised argument, downloaded from the networks and little connected to one's own experience".

From this point of view, the current situation presents “a generation in which many boys, on the one hand, use a clearly anti-feminist discourse, which confronts them discursively to girls, but on the other hand, incorporate daily attitudes that are more egalitarian than those of their parents”.

The study found that boys use a militant discourse, while girls make references more rooted in their personal experiences and consider sexual violence a key issue. They perceive it as the main example of the gender inequality they still experience and which places them in “a position of alertness and self-limitation in the face of risk”, and also “of outrage at its prevalence”. "We perceive the breaking of silence when listening to them. It is a generation that talks about it", the study points out.

As a result of the work with the groups, it is confirmed that there is a generalised perception of feminist public policy as a “negative and unfair” government action, especially in the boys' groups. The girls, in contrast, consider that, “if they are not very well entrenched, the policies are counterproductive, because they anger the boys with whom they have to live”.

Through this study, education is also identified as a possible lever of resistance. The study proposes the idea that “neo-machist discourses are weakened when they come up against intense educational work on the subject”.

Proposals for a joint generation of life

Once the listening process was completed, the authors of the study state that “perhaps it is not entirely accurate to say that boys and girls are growing together, but rather that they do so in parallel”, and that “accompanying them to grow together, side-by-side, helping them to become a single social body”, is the path that should be prioritised.

From this point of view, the study includes proposals such as equality education workshops that are more integrated into the daily dynamics of the classroom, giving visibility to public policies (such as the purple information points), setting limits to what and how much impact the virtual world can have on adolescent life, and having local authorities deploy a policy of support for adolescents that accompanies the school and prioritises the creation of common spaces where boys and girls can bond.