“Mate-value backlash” may help explain anti-feminist attitudes among some Trump-era men, researchers say
As women gain economic independence, never-married men without college degrees are showing increased hostility toward feminists. Researchers suggest this "mate-value backlash," rooted in romantic insecurity, has fueled support for right-wing populism and Donald Trump.
A recent study has found that never-married men without a college degree are displaying increasingly anti-feminist attitudes, a phenomenon researchers term the "mate-value backlash." This backlash stems from romantic and economic insecurity, rather than a mere desire to embrace traditional gender roles. The study, published in Political Research Quarterly, highlights a correlation between this attitude and support for the Republican Party and Donald Trump.
While political science has long observed a global surge in right-wing populist movements, this study delves into the underlying causes, specifically the impact of changing dating and marriage demographics. A 2019 study revealed that Trump supporters scored higher on measures of modern sexism post-2016, and a 2021 German study linked men's concern over refugees to their support for hate crimes against refugees.
The research team, led by Stan Oklobdzija and Christopher Witko, aimed to bridge these two narratives. They argued that "mate-value backlash" is a key factor in the political right's recent gains. Mate-value, in this context, refers to a person's desirability as a romantic partner. The researchers pointed out that as women have gained economic independence and outnumbered men in college attendance, men without a college degree face stiffer competition in both employment and dating markets.
This perceived loss of status and romantic insecurity leads to resentment toward feminism and women's equality. To validate their hypothesis, the team analyzed data from the American National Election Studies, focusing on male respondents from 1970 to 2024. The study measured anti-feminist attitudes using a "feeling thermometer," where respondents rated their feelings toward feminists on a scale from 0 to 100.
The findings showed that while negative feelings toward feminists were consistently linked to voting for Republican candidates in the pre-Trump era, this trend reversed in the surveys conducted in 2020 and 2024. Never-married men without a college degree reported 10 points lower warmth towards feminists compared to their college-educated counterparts.
This hostility strongly predicted voting for Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024, even after accounting for party identification. The researchers noted that their estimates might be underestimates, as these attitudes also influence party identity. The results echo previous studies, including one from 2017 that found a link between hostile attitudes toward women and support for Trump among college undergraduates.
Another study from 2026 emphasized the strong correlation between sexist attitudes and support for right-wing candidates. Experts have speculated that contemporary conservative rhetoric may have activated this sentiment among unmarried men with lower education levels, aligning with research on the manosphere, a collection of online communities often espousing views inconsistent with gender norms.
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