This paper investigates a robust, important, and
fairly recent phenomenon: Women as members of the body politic
think and vote differently than men. Despite frequent discussion
of these phenomena in the press, gender has remained surprisingly
underanalyzed in political psychology. Moving beyond the stereotypical
interpretations often seized upon by the media, we present a feminist
analysis by invoking the social positioning of women and men as
the origin of the differing political stances of women and men.
From our perspective, gender gaps in attitudes and behavior are
shaped by the divergence of women’s interests from those
of men; in turn, these divergent interests derive from the gender
division of labor.
Alice H. Eagly, Professor of
Psychology and Department Chair; Faculty Fellow, Institute for
Policy Research, Northwestern University Amanda B. Diekman, Assistant Professor of Psychology,
Miami University
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