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ERIC Number: ED152607
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1977-Sep
Pages: 53
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Local Representatives in Connecticut: Sex Differences in Attitudes towards Women's Rights Policy.
Mezey, Susan Gluck
The research investigated the relationship of a person's sex to his or her public policy preferences, with particular regard to women's issues. Women's issues are reflected in public policy which directly affects women's lives. Examples are day care facilities, sex bias of educational materials, and abortion facilities. The study was conducted to ascertain whether women's interests are concentrated in certain areas and whether female politicians place women's policy issues on a higher level of importance than male politicians do. The hypothesis was that female politicians would not indicate more concern or more expertise in women's public policy areas than would men. One hundred Connecticut municipal council-members (50 female and 50 male) were questioned about policy preferences, interests, and areas of expertise. Findings indicated that although women were more concerned about social problems than men, their interests were not limited to this area. Also, women expressed more support for feminist issues than did men; however, they did not maintain a higher level of support of these issues over other issues. In summary, women were more influenced by their role as politicians than by their role as women or supporters of women's policy. There was insufficient evidence to confirm or deny the original hypothesis. The recommendation is for additional research on other manifestations of policy preferences such as introduction of legislation or votes in the council chamber. (Author/DB)
Susan Mezey, Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201 (free)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: Rutgers, The State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ. Center for the American Woman and Politics.
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Connecticut
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A