Results

A holistic conceptual framework 

GPOL proposes the first overarching framework that treats gender-related polarization as a three-dimensional political process, covering gender gaps, issue attitudes, and perceptions of feminism.  

Feminist theory meets empirical data 

Rather than analyzing gender-related attitudes separately, GPOL jointly studies a broad set of issue preferences and connects them to strands of feminist political thought, delivering a comprehensive picture of how gender-related attitudes are structured and what drives them. 

Longitudinal individual-level evidence 

By tracking within-individual attitude change over time,  GPOL provides new evidence on how and why individuals structure their beliefs and eventually become more polarized.  

The project expects to produce several articles in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, a final book accessible to non-specialist audiences, and two new waves of the POLAT Panel dataset to be made publicly available in the future. 

Gender polarization is not merely an academic concern. Unchecked, it risks producing a society increasingly divided by values and attitudes, one in which basic agreements on women’s rights become harder to sustain. 

Fostering more constructive debate 

By identifying the sources and mechanisms of gender-related polarization, the project provides the evidence base needed to design communication strategies and public interventions that reduce intolerance and promote constructive dialogue across gender lines 

Impacting in policy design 

GPOL will identify which gender-related policies enjoy broad public support, which are polarizing, and which are at risk of regression — providing decision-makers with essential information for designing and implementing inclusive and durable equality legislation. 

Strengthening equality organizations 

The project’s data and findings will be directly useful to civil society organizations working in the gender equality field, helping them to better understand public attitudes, target their efforts, and build broader coalitions of support. 

Work in progress…