Sexist rap music may not cause sexist ideas, but it can reinforce pre-existing beliefs, shows a new study.
North Carolina State University researchers measured sexist attitudes in college students using the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), then had them listen either to misogynistic rap music, non-misogynistic rap music or no rap music before being re-assessed.
Results showed that overall, male subjects were more sexist, both before and after listening to the music. They also showed that sexist attitudes increased after listening to rap music even if the song subjects listened to did not contain sexist lyrics. The report suggests this may be due to rap's aggressive beats, or because the genre is "categorized in memory as sexist."
FULL TEXT: Ambivalent Sexism and Misogynistic Rap Music: Does Exposure to Eminem Increase Sexism? (PDF)