Women's Gender Consciousness

Abstract

Four dimensions of group consciousness that figure prominently in relative deprivation and resource mobilization/solidarity theories of social movements were measured in three national cross-section sample surveys over the decade of the 1970s by the Institute for Social Research. These dimensions—identification, discontent, withdrawal of legitimacy, and collective orientation—were applied to the gender consciousness of women. In all but one of these dimensions, women's gender consciousness was comparatively weak. It was not as pronounced as the group consciousness of other subordinate categories, nor was it distinctly subordinate because men expressed similar views. A structural interpretation of this comparative weakness is offered. Women did become more group conscious between 1972 and 1983. The increase was particularly pronounced with regard to their discontent about the relative political power of men and women and their views about the legitimacy of gender disparities.

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