Both machismo and misogyny are phenomena related to sexism and harm massive numbers of women. However, it is important not to confuse these terms, since although they refer to phenomena that have some similarities, they cannot be used as if they were synonymous.

Therefore, throughout this article we will see the main differences between misogyny and machismo , as well as the way in which their manifestations differ and their harmful effects on people.

Differences between misogyny and machismo

Until not so long ago, the problems arising from sexism were virtually invisible to public opinion. Cases of direct violence could be commented on and punished in those cases in which some norm was violated, but no reflection was generated about the social and historical phenomenon related to the situation of women’s subjection .
In recent decades, however, this has changed, and that is why it is now so common to hear about machismo and hatred of women (or misogyny) in Western culture and in many other countries.

However, although both machismo and misogyny tell us about different types of violence directed at women in general and women in particular, they have a different nature and are also noticed in different ways. Let’s look at it.

1. One is based on hate, the other is not

By definition, misogyny is always based on hatred of women, while machismo need not be based on this.
In fact, the latter is based not so much on concrete feelings directed towards women, but on a whole series of relational dynamics that have been normalised over the centuries and that are considered normal, devoid of any emotional component.

Thus, one of the characteristics of machismo is that it is experienced as something natural, related to objective truth and realism, through statements such as “everyone knows that women need a man”.

In this kind of beliefs there is not always an element that allows us to identify if the person who holds them feels sympathy or antipathy for the woman just because she is one, while in misogyny it is the opposite: we can know the attitude of acceptance or rejection towards the feminine.

2. Misogyny is an individual phenomenon

Unlike machismo, which has to do with a whole system of material and ideological domination over women that has been handed down from generation to generation, misogyny is relatively individual.

While machismo has been present in practically all people, misogyny is something more exceptional, of rather isolated appearance . However, it does have a slight social component, since the very fact that femininity can come to define how we perceive an individual (a woman) has to do with the gender roles attributed by society, which are very present from birth.

3. Machismo can take the form of kindness

It is perfectly possible to be macho and worry a lot about women feeling comfortable and living well. This is because machismo is not always based on contempt or the desire to harm someone in particular; it can also appear through paternalism and condescension .

Of course, this does not imply that someone who is macho and wishes the best for the woman does not harm her through his actions; but he will not be aware of this, since he will see that what he does is justified “for the good” of the other person, since he is less capable of deciding what he wants and has less criteria to understand what is happening (according to the beliefs of the person who treats him as a non-independent person).

4. Misogyny often leads to alienation

As a rule, those who feel hatred for a certain group try not to expose themselves too much to it. This principle is relatively difficult to apply when the group of people who hate each other makes up approximately half of the human population, but in spite of that those who experience misogyny prefer to relate to men , reducing to a minimum their interactions with women.

On the other hand, machismo need not lead to this, since its existence is totally independent of attitudes of acceptance and rejection of the feminine.

5. Machismo is a historical phenomenon

The very existence of machismo is related to gender roles and to the strong identification we make between a person’s sex and their functions in society, something that can be modified by changing political, economic and cultural elements. On the other hand, misogyny has many different causes , and the only common denominator on which its cases are based has to do with the importance of gender when identifying people.

Where there is a strong element of identification to which we attribute much meaning (religion, race, nationality, etc.) there may be material from which to develop misgivings or even generalised hatred.

Bibliographic references:

  • Hirai, M., Winkel, M., & Popan, J. (2014). The role of machismo in prejudice. Personality and Individual Differences, 70, 105-110.
  • Rinck, M. J. (1990). Christian “Men Who Hate Women: Healing Hurting Relationships. Zondervan. pp. 81 – 85.
  • Zaira A. (2000). Masculine and feminine in the Catholic imagination: From Catholic Action to Liberation Theology São Paulo: Annablume.