Sexism, Meritocracy, and Attitudes toward the "Girls' Quota" in Japan

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right of colleges and universities to consider race in admissions in 2023. In contrast, the Japanese government recommended that universities consider gender in admissions to certain STEM departments the previous year. Currently, more than 80 universities use joshi waku (meaning “girls’ quota”) that is open only to female applicants. Using an anonymous online survey with 1,000 university students in Japan, this research examines which students are more likely to agree with this policy and potential explanations behind this agreement. Previous research revealed three main mechanisms that explain public attitudes towards affirmative action: self-interest, belief in meritocracy, and stereotyping. At the same time, the universal applicability of these mechanisms needs to be tested in light of recent research showing potentially unique and counterintuitive effects of belief in meritocracy in contexts where the underrepresentation of women is undeniably visible. The results reveal that being female, belief in meritocracy, and “benevolent sexism” (described later) are positively associated with support for the girls’ quota. This research contributes to the existing literature on public attitudes toward remedial social policies by revealing an exception to the conventional finding that privileged individuals oppose such policies while acknowledging inequality.