Recognising Gender Discrimination: The Recognition-Normalisation Paradox in Italy and Lithuania

Gender discrimination is a widespread phenomenon in contemporary societies; however, people often acknowledge its existence without challenging it. This study introduces the concept of the 'recognition-normalisation paradox', defined as the simultaneous recognition of gender discrimination and its mitigation through interpretative frameworks that render it socially acceptable, and proposes a theoretical framework based on predictive elaboration and social cognition to explain its cognitive underpinnings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants (14 in Italy, 11 in Lithuania) of both genders, analysed using an integrated qualitative-quantitative approach with ATLAS.ti (v. 26.0.1). The findings reveal that recognition and normalisation systematically coexist within the same narrative sequences. The cross-national analysis indicates that, whilst the paradox is structurally invariant in both contexts, its specific configuration differs: in Italy, normalisation operates predominantly through routinised relational and familial expectations, whereas in Lithuania it is achieved through discursive relativisation and contextual distancing. These findings challenge the view that normalisation reflects an absence of recognition, reframing it as a phenomenon that can be interpreted as a form of inferential processing. The implications for interventions promoting gender equality are discussed.