UWTSD Psychology Researchers Work with Global Research Team on Gender Equality

A global alliance of over 80 researchers across 42 countries, including Dr Paul Hutchings and Katie Sullivan from the Psychology department at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, have released their first findings from the Towards Gender Harmony research project.

Dr Paul Hutchings and Katie Sullivan from UWTSD.

The project, which has collected data from over 18,000 participants across the world, including Wales, aims to examine attitudes towards gender equality in the 21^st Century and identify ways to promote equality worldwide.

The first research study, reported in a special edition of the European Journal of Social Psychology focuses on solidarity and alliance, and examined data from nearly 7,000 male participants.  The study found that solidarity with female equality and willingness to act collectively for gender equality was influenced by perceptions of threat to their own status and power.

“It is incredibly satisfying to be part of such a global research project and to help produce research that can contribute to our understanding of one of the big issues in the world,” said Dr Hutchings, who led the research data collection and analysis in Wales.

“Attitudes towards gender equality differ between individuals and across societies, and this project gives us the opportunity to explore the topic on a massive scale and look for ways to further promote gender equality,” continues Dr Hutchings.  “Our findings from the current study suggest that there are still many people who are prepared to sit on the side-lines and look on, seeing gender equality as a ‘women’s issue’ when we know from previous research that it is collective action from everyone that is most likely to produce change in society.”

The Towards Gender Harmony project will release further research papers later in the year. 

Dr Paul B. Hutchings is a social and political psychologist, and the Assistant Director of the Academic Discipline of Psychology and Counselling at UWTSD.

Katie Sullivan is a social and political psychologist currently writing up her PhD thesis.  Katie is also a Technical Tutor within UWTSD's Academic Discipline of Psychology and Counselling.

The Psychology department at UWTSD has a strong and exciting research profile in areas of applied and experimental psychology. It has a strong track record in collaboration and innovation and teaching staff have a range of methodological expertise including qualitative methods, experimental design and intervention development and evaluation.

Reference: Kosakowska-Berezecka et al.  (2020). Country-level and individual-level predictors of men's support for gender equality in 42 countries. European Journal of Social Psychology on Solidarity in the Spotlight: Understanding Allies' Participation in Social Change [Special Issue].

Further Information

For further information, please contact Sian-Elin Davies, Principal Communications and PR Officer on 01267 676908 / 07449 998476 sian-elin.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk