Queen bee syndrome: what it is and how to recognize it

The concept of sorority refers to solidarity and mutual support between women in any situation, but especially in situations of discrimination based on gender.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
03 July 2023 Monday 11:16
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Queen bee syndrome: what it is and how to recognize it

The concept of sorority refers to solidarity and mutual support between women in any situation, but especially in situations of discrimination based on gender. It is a very fashionable term, championed by feminism, which finds its completely opposite extreme in the queen bee syndrome.

It is not an officially recognized disorder in psychology manuals, but is popularly used to define a specific type of personality and behavior in some women. We have seen him represented in fiction on numerous occasions, from Blair Waldorf in "Gossip Girl" with a retinue of henchmen whom he humiliates in high school, to "The Devil Wears Prada" with the rivalry between the protagonist, her boss and her companions. Even with Snow White's stepmother, who couldn't bear for any woman to surpass her beauty.

Let's see what it consists of so that you know if you have come across a woman with queen bee syndrome in your life. Or if you even present some of her characteristic features yourself.

Julia Almagro explains in her blog on female empowerment that the queen bee syndrome refers to "the tendency of some women in leadership positions to ignore and trip up other women within their organization, because they consider them rivals." She adds that “this doesn't happen to them with male subordinates. They are delighted to mentor them and give them a hand”.

The origin of this behavior is found in the education received on many occasions by women, as if the rest of the female gender were enemies and competitors. "It's called insane rivalry and it's linked to the scarcity mentality, considering that the success of another puts one's own position and achievements at risk," Almagro specifies.

Thus, a woman with queen bee syndrome adopts contemptuous and even cruel attitudes with other female partners, while she does not with men. Although they are people with traits similar to narcissism, their behavior also hides many insecurities.