Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Women enter college with less self-confidence and different educational aspirations than men. Gender-role attitudes (modern versus traditional) are involved. This paper examines the effects of political ideology (liberal versus conservative), family background, and peer group relationships on student attitudes and goals. It is hypothesized that the gender gap in educational attainment is greatest among conservative male and female students. The sample for this study consists of white students at a liberal arts college in the south (n=1774). Students were asked how smart they thought they were compared to others and their educational goals after graduation from college. Among those on the far left of the political spectrum, there is little difference between female and male students in their self-confidence and how far they intend to go in school. However, as one moves from the far left to the far right, the gender gap in self-confidence and educational goals widens appreciably. Highly conservative male students have the highest level of self-confidence and educational aspirations while highly conservative females have the lowest. This gender difference by political ideology is not due to religious fundamentalism or social conservatism. Rather, it has more to do with the values and way of life associated with economic conservatism. The paper closes with an analysis of which family background and peer group factors explain why these gender differences are found among (highly) conservative students.