Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Gender discrimination in Swedish family courts: A quantitative vignette study
Leonard Ngaosuvan1, Jenny Hagberg2, Sverker Sikström2
1Department of Culture and Society (IKOS), Division of Social Work (SOCARB), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Background:
Gender discrimination of women is often emphasized in work contexts, whereas less focus is on how men are discriminated against in social relationships. Gender discrimination in decisions of family relations, is essential to study as the contact between parent and child is commonly viewed as the most important relationship in people's life, as well as being the most important aspect of our life. Following separations, decisions on custody disputes are made by social workers. The purpose of this paper is to study gender discrimination in such decisions.
Method:
Participants were instructed to give a recommendation of shared parenting based on a custody case vinjett, where we manipulate the gender of the risk parent.
Results:
The participants' recommendation of living was mainly dependent on the risk parent's gender, where the mother was considerably more likely to receive shared custody than the father.
Conclusions:
Professional social workers show selective gender discrimination against fathers in terms of living recommendations.
Related Concept Videos
Stereotype Content Model
Relationship Formation
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
Parenting Styles
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...

