GENDER DIFFERENCES IN POLITICAL CONCEPTUALIZATION 1956-1980

The American Voter published 1956 data showing males to be more likely than females to conceptualize politics in abstract terms. This article extends that analysis through 1980, using data from the CPS National Election Studies. The aggregate gender differences in conceptualization persist throughout the entire period. Controls for education and political involvement fail to diminish the gender gap in conceptualization. However, for the 1972 to 1980 period, controlling for women's sex-role orientations substantially reduces male-female differences in conceptualization.