Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Does Gender Matter?

Men and Women on Controversial Social Issues

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Gender Issues Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this article we explore gender differences in opinion regarding controversial social issues. The issues we selected are: attitudes toward African Americans, Jews, Muslims, Affirmative Action, abortion, and gays and lesbians. This selection is based on the importance of these issues in public debate and electoral politics. A number of these issues, mainly those related to opinions toward religious and racial groups, reflect the development of the American society and draw lines of possible disagreements and social cleavages. Our purpose is to draw attention to an important factor in determining public opinion toward these issues. We aim to explore issues where gender makes a clear difference, where it does not only hold an important role as other factors such as race and political affiliation, and where considerations of gender need to be combined with other personal attributes in order to understand their real impact. These highlights are intended to shed light on the role of gender in social issues as well as understanding these issues from a perspective that includes gender as a dimension in opinion making.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The Martilla Communications Group. 2007. American Attitudes Toward Jews in America. October. Available through: http://www.adl.org/Anti_semitism/poll_2007/Anti-Semitism%20Poll%202007.pdf. Access Date: June 19, 2009.

  2. Growing Number Says Islam Encourages Violence Among Followers. Religion and Politics: Contention and Consensus. 2003. Available through: http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/189.pdf. Access Date: June 3, 2009.

  3. Beckman, James M. 2006, Affirmative Action: An Encyclopedia. New York: Greenwood Press.

  4. Lydia Saad. 2003. Women Skeptical of Societal Fairness to their Gender—But more satisfied with group’s treatment than are blacks or Hispanics October 9. Available through: http://www.gallup.com/poll/9433/Women-Skeptical-Societal-Fairness-Their-Gender.aspx. Access Date: June 14, 2009.

  5. Available through: http://www.usatoday.com/news/polls/tables/live/0623.htm. Access Date: June 14, 2009.

  6. Lidya Saad. 2002. Public Opinion About Abortion—An In-Depth Review. Available through: http://www.gallup.com/poll/9904/Public-Opinion-About-Abortion-InDepth-Review.aspx#1. Access Date: May 30, 2009.

  7. Abortion a More Powerful Issue for Women. April 23, 2004. Available through: http://people-press.org/commentary/?analysisid=88. Access Date: May 30, 2009.

  8. Lydia Saad. 2008. Abortion Issue Laying Low in 2008 Campaign: Few Americans say candidates’ abortion views are critical for their views. 22 May. Available through: http://www.gallup.com/poll/107458/Abortion-Issue-Laying-Low-2008-Campaign.aspx. Access Date: May 30, 2009.

  9. Public Takes Conservative Turn on Gun Control, Abortion. April 30, 2009. Available through: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1212/abortion-gun-control-opinion-gender-gap. Access Date: May 30, 2009.

  10. Nicole Speulda and Mary McIntosh. 2004. Global Gender Gaps. May 13. Available through: http://people-press.org/commentary/?analysisid=90. Access Date: June 17, 2009.

  11. Gregory M. Herek. 2002. Gender Gaps in Public Opinion about Lesbians and Gay Men. The Public Opinion Quarterly 66(1): 40–66. Spring.

  12. The Pew Research Center. 2003. Republicans Unified, Democrats Split on Gay Marriage: Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality. November 18. Available through: http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/197.pdf. Access Date: June 17, 2009.

  13. The Pew Research Center. 2009. Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987–2009: Independents Take Center Stage in Obama Era. May 21. Available through: http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/517.pdf. Access Date: June 17, 2009.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. American University, Washington, DC, USA

    Rita J. Simon & Mohamed Alaa Abdel-Moneim

  2. Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed Alaa Abdel-Moneim

Authors
  1. Rita J. Simon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohamed Alaa Abdel-Moneim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rita J. Simon.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Simon, R.J., Abdel-Moneim, M.A. Does Gender Matter?. Gend. Issues 27, 95–109 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-010-9094-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-010-9094-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation