Attitudes of older adults toward feminism and women's roles: the influence of gender, religious orientation and political orientation
Date
2008
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Abstract
Older adults' attitudes toward feminism and women's rights and roles in society were explored using survey techniques in this research. Participants included 274 older adults age 50 and over who were asked to complete questionnaires including a variety of demographic variables (including religious and political affiliations and orientations) and attitudinal measures of feminism and women's rights and roles in society.
Results were largely statistically nonsignificant, likely due in part to a ceiling effect observed on the attitude measures. However, having a liberal or conservative orientation (whether political or religious) seemed to affect views toward feminism and women's place in society. Although all groups scored in a range that indicated acceptance of feminist views, more conservative individuals, regardless of political party or religious group, were less positive toward feminist ideals and nontraditional roles for women.
These results suggested that feminist ideas and attitudes that were previously thought of as "radical" may now simply be an accepted part of U.S. culture. Suggestions for future research include using and/or developing more updated attitudinal measures, in order to both determine what "feminism" means in today's society and to understand the views toward feminism that exist in the general population and in older adults specifically.
Results were largely statistically nonsignificant, likely due in part to a ceiling effect observed on the attitude measures. However, having a liberal or conservative orientation (whether political or religious) seemed to affect views toward feminism and women's place in society. Although all groups scored in a range that indicated acceptance of feminist views, more conservative individuals, regardless of political party or religious group, were less positive toward feminist ideals and nontraditional roles for women.
These results suggested that feminist ideas and attitudes that were previously thought of as "radical" may now simply be an accepted part of U.S. culture. Suggestions for future research include using and/or developing more updated attitudinal measures, in order to both determine what "feminism" means in today's society and to understand the views toward feminism that exist in the general population and in older adults specifically.
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Subject
feminism
gender
older adults
political attitudes
religious attitudes
sexism
social psychology
women's studies
gender studies