Gender and Public Opinion on Democracy: A Comparison of Poland and the U.S.

• In Event: 4366 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 3. Global and Transnational Feminisms

Abstract

In 2019 Poland will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the establishment of Polish-U.S. diplomatic relations and the 30th anniversary of freedom from communist rule, making this an opportune time to compare Polish and American views of freedom, liberty, and democracy. Using data from the World Values Survey waves 2 through 6 (1989-2014), this paper examines gender diversity in public opinion on a range of democracy issues, including freedom, women’s rights, immigrants’ rights, civil liberties, freedom of speech and of religion, and human rights. Findings show considerable variation between U.S. men and women – but not Polish men and women -- on democracy related attitudes. Cross-country comparisons show that (with some exceptions) U.S. men and women tend to score higher on these attitudes but Poles’ scores are becoming more progressive over time. We conclude that a gender perspective is essential to a full understanding of comparative attitudes toward democracy and related issues involving liberty and freedom.

Authors

• Sandra L. Hanson, Catholic University of America

• Steven A. Tuch, George Washington University