Political Interest in West European Women

Abstract
“Political Interest in West European Women” is an analysis of the responses of women in eight European Community countries to yearly surveys taken from 1973 through 1978 to a basic question, “Are you interested in politics?” Responses were examined by sex and by nationality, and were also compared to earlier survey data from the 1950s. The pattern of political interest proved to be extremely interesting, as a correlation was found between present-day political interest of West European women and the historical background of the country in which they live. The most promising explanation for current interest seems to be whether or not the women were raised in a traditionally Protestant or traditionally Catholic country, a factor very much linked to attitudes toward women held by those countries. Although there are exceptions and complications, and also changes currently taking place, particularly in countries such as France, this hypothesis seems to be supported by the data, and well worth pursuing in future research.

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