CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Ahlfeld, Chris |
|---|---|
| Title | Sex and Gender Conformity Gaps in Political Attitudes Among Young People in Germany |
| Summary | The present thesis examines sex and gender conformity gaps in political attitudes among young people in Germany. For this, the ideological left-right self-classification and the con-flict dimensions of redistribution, migration, and civil liberties are considered. Using data from the European Social Survey (2002-2023), the thesis indicates that young women tend to place themselves to the left of men, especially concerning gender equality and homosexuality. Differences in attitudes towards redistribution and migration prove statistically insignificant. To gain a broader understanding of gender differences, a gender conformity variable was in-troduced and subsequently analyzed. While there is no significant variation in migration atti-tudes, the results reveal substantial effects with non-conforming people holding more progres-sive attitudes toward redistribution and civil liberties. Especially along the issues of gender equality and homosexuality, the largest gap is found between gender-conforming men and gender-nonconforming women, demonstrating the necessity of more nuance in researching gender differences. Thus, this thesis emphasizes that measuring sex alone cannot adequately explain gender variation in political attitudes. Instead, subjective identity and conformity measures might prove more fruitful in understanding and observing political differences among young people in Germany and beyond. |
| Supervisor | Hübscher, Evelyne |
| Department | Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/ahlfeld_chris.pdf |
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