Sexism & Utah Context – Resource Kit
As a scholar and researcher who has studied sexism for decades, Dr. Susan R. Madsen has compiled this list of select research-based books, reports, articles, videos, and podcasts that she recommends to those wanting to lead change in creating more inclusive environments. Some are published by the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP), while others come from widely recognized experts in the field. This resource page also captured some specific topics related to the Utah context. To get involved in positive change, take action by exploring what you can do as individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Key Resources
- Conversation Guide: Sexism in Utah
- Conversation Guide: Utah, Gender, & Bias
- Sexism: What Utahns Need to Know
Research Reports
- Leadership Development Research Summary – 2024 (see unconscious bias)
- Sexist Comments & Responses: Inequity and Bias – 2021
- Sexist Comments & Responses: Objectification – 2022
- Sexist Comments & Responses: Stereotypes – 2022
- Sexist Comments & Responses: Study Introduction and Overview – 2021
- Sexist Comments & Responses: Undervaluing Women – 2022
- Utah Women in the Workplace: Entrepreneurship, Workforce Development, STEM Fields, and Leadership Development – 2026 (see unconscious bias)
- Utah Women, Discrimination, and Sexism: Experiences and Perceptions - 2025
- Women in the Workplace: Part 2 – Utahn’s Awareness, Understanding, and Attitudes – 2025 (see unconscious bias)
Podcasts & Videos
- Podcast: Sexist Comments & Responses Part I
- Podcast: Sexist Comments & Responses Part II
- Podcast: Sexist Comments & Responses Part III
- Podcast: Utah Women, Discrimination, and Sexism: Experiences and Perceptions Part 1
- Podcast: Utah Women, Discrimination, and Sexism: Experiences and Perceptions Part 2
- Video: The Impact of Sexism on Women’s Careers
- Video: Understanding Sexism in Utah
Articles
- Can Snow Plowing Be Sexist? Yes it Can (The Salt Lake Tribune, 2020)
- Do the ‘Sexist’ Comments at Silicon Slopes Really Matter? (The Salt Lake Tribune, 2019)
- Do Women Actually Prefer Benevolent Sexism? (LinkedIn, 2020)
- How Does Sexism Influence Workplaces Today? (Forbes, 2020)
- Is Calling Women ‘Girls’ a Problem? (The Salt Lake Tribune, 2022)
- Is There a Relationship Between Sexism and Health? (Forbes, 2024)
- New Findings – Gender Discrimination & Sexism in Utah Workplaces (LinkedIn, 2025)
- Sexist Comments in Latter-day Saint Settings (SquareTwo, 2022)
- The Real‑World Consequences of Sexism—And How Organizations Can Respond (Forbes, 2026)
- Understanding ‘Benevolent Sexism’ Can Help Us Be Better Utahns (The Salt Lake Tribune, 2021)
- Utah Workplaces are Particularly Susceptible to Sexism, Our Research Shows. Here’s How to Recognize—and Improve—Conditions for Women (The Salt Lake Tribune, 2025)
- What Is Genderwashing and Why Should Companies Learn More? (Forbes, 2024)
- When Religion and Sexism Collide, Women’s Health Suffers (The Salt Lake Tribune, 2026)
- Why Calling Women ‘Girls’ Is A Bigger Deal Than You May Think (Forbes, 2021)
- Why Do Some Women Justify Gender Inequity? (Forbes, 2024)
- Why Getting Rid of Sexism in The Workplace Is So Challenging (Forbes, 2022)
- Why Is Sexism a Wicked Problem? (Forbes, 2021)
Sexist Comment - LinkedIn Series (2021-2022)
- Sexist Comments Research: Assumed Incompetence
- Sexist Comments Research: Benevolent Sexism & Double Bind/Double Standard
- Sexist Comments Research: Defensiveness & Backlash against Feminism
- Sexist Comments Research: Exclusion from Work Activities & Intersectional Discrimination
- Sexist Comments Research: Exploring Unconscious Bias
- Sexist Comments Research: Focus on Physical Appearance/Bodies
- Sexist Comments Research: Gender Inequity
- Sexist Comments Research: Gender Pay, Promotion, & Hiring Inequity
- Sexist Comments Research: Gender Stereotypes
- Sexist Comments Research: Infantilizing/Condescending
- Sexist Comments Research: Sexist Language/Terms & “Affirmative Action” Assumption
- Sexist Comments Research: Sexual Advances & Accusations of Using Sex to Get Ahead
- Sexist Comments Research: Sexual Harassment
- Sexist Comments Research: Sexualizing Women
- Sexist Comments Research: The Motherhood Penalty
- Sexist Comments Research: Undervaluing Women’s Contributions
- Sexist Comments Research: Women in Homemaker Roles
- Sexist Comments Research: Women’s Internalized Sexism
Utah Context - Research & Articles
- County-Specific “What Can I Do?” Reports (see Nos. 18-45)
- How Utah’s Faith Communities Can Help End Violence Against Women (Utah News Dispatch, 2026)
- Impact of Gap Time for Missionary Service on Utah Women’s College Outcomes (LinkedIn, 2024)
- In Utah, A Woman’s Choice Can Often Be an Illusion (The Salt Lake Tribune, 2025)
- Latter-day Saint Women and Leadership: The Influence of Their Religious Worldview (Journal of Leadership Education, 2016)
- New Findings – Influence of Religion and/or Patriarchy (LinkedIn, 2025)
- New Findings – Traditional Gender Norms and Cultural Pressure To Conform (LinkedIn, 2025)
- Perspective: Choosing Abundance in a Culture of Scarcity (Deseret News, 2026)
- Research: Top 11 Challenges Women Face in Utah (LinkedIn, 2024)
- Study Highlights Top Seven Opportunities for Utah Girls and Women (LinkedIn, 2024)
- Utah Organizations Supporting Women and Girls: Exploring the Landscape (LinkedIn, 2025)
- What Utahns Can Do to Strengthen Girls and Women: Findings from Community Conversations Across Utah (LinkedIn, 2025)
- White, Republican, Latter-Day Saint? Helping Families Means Moving Past Utah Stereotypes (Deseret News, 2021)
- Why Utah Still Can’t Confront Violence Against Women (Utah News Dispatch, 2026)
*In addition, see UWLP’s host of research briefs, snapshots, summaries, and white papers for additional research on Utah’s context.
If you have any changes or additions, please email UWLP@usu.edu.
- Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020)
- Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023)
- Handbook of Research on Gender and Leadership (Elgar Edward Publishing, 2024)
- Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men (Harry N. Abrams, 2021)
- What Works: Gender Equality by Design (Harvard University Press, 2018
- How Religious is Your State? (Pew Research Center, 2016)
- Interrupting Sexism at Work: What Drives Men to Respond Directly or Do Nothing (Catalyst, 2020)
- Sexism in Childhood and Adolescence: Recent Trends and Advances in Research (Child Development Perspectives, 2018)
- The Effects of Sexism on American Women: The Role of Norms vs. Discrimination (Becker Friedman Institute for Economics, 2018)
