Difficulties to commit: gender differences in political involvement over the life cycle

Abstract

For some time now, the literature on public opinion and political participation has explored existing gender differences in attitudes and behaviors. Recent advances in the scholarly literature suggest that these differences are of a social nature, learnt throughout the socialization process (Fraile and Sánchez-Vítores 2019, Durovic 2017). Moreover, it has been highlighted that these differences are not only a matter of level, of women being less interested or knowledgeable, but also of format: they are interested in different topics (Coffé 2013), they are knowledgeable about more socially oriented topics (Fraile, García-Albacete, and Ferrin 2013; Ferrín, Fraile, and Rubal 2015), and they prefer other modes of participation (Kittilson and Schwindt-Bayer 2012). The aim of this panel is to take advantage of recent advances in the study of intersectionality and how inequalities tend to accumulate, to further explore how these differences are originated. We welcome research that can build a more nuanced picture, providing insight on how experiences of men and women shape their political involvement, leading to heterogeneity also within these categories. Are they a product of different social expectations regarding social roles or the product of experienced discrimination? We are also interested in research that explores whether these differences appear in the early years of socialization or whether they arise (or are amplified) later on during the life course, and the extent to which significant life-cycle events may have different outcomes in terms of political involvement.

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