Social Dynamic Response Theory: Examining the Impact of the Pandemic-era Reduction in Women’s Rights on the Social Climate in the U.S.

Social Dynamic Response Theory reaffirms the contributions of multiple demographic groups who generate a well of advantages from which most, if not all members of the community can benefit, and posits that when demographic groups whose agency or institutional access has been negatively impacted beyond a point of reasonable expectation, they are likely to respond with less participation in those institutions. The principles of Social Dynamic Response Theory are partially derived from Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Geert Hofstede’s Theory of Power Distance, and Karl Marx’s Conflict Theory. Social Dynamic Response Theory is where these three theories intersect and proposes that traditional family structures are possible because women exchange participation in benevolent sexism for reaffirmed safety in patriarchal societies, proactive participation in childbirth and marital institutions for reproductive freedom, and openness to casual intimacy for environmental assurances of sexual safety. Thus, it stands to reason that as gender inequality increases in a democratic society, intergender conflict will also increase, with too great an imbalance threatening community wellness, social cohesion, and the overall social climate.