Models of Gender and Political Participation in the United States

  • Cal Clark and Janet Clark

Abstract

This paper examines three alternative explanations for the relationship between gender and participation that focus upon: (1) childhood socialization, (2) adult role socialization and (3) structural factors of socioeconomic status. The data analysis of the Verba-Nie study of political participation in America finds some support for all three models, suggesting that the linkages between gender and participation are influences by a complex set of factors. Evidently, the adult role socializaiton and structural perspectives provide a more sophisticated elaboration of childhood socialization theory by specifying conditions that modify the strength of socialization into traditional female roles.

Citation

Clark, Cal and Janet Clark. “Models of Gender and Political Participation in the United States.” Women and Politics 6, no. 1 (1986): 5-25.

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