Her Mother's Daughter? The Influence of Childhood Socialization on Women's Political Engagement

Abstract

This analysis draws on data from a survey of women in English-speaking Canada to examine whether early exposure to politics in the home can counteract the effects of female socialization. We examine the effect of parents' political activity on their adult daughters' interest in politics, political knowledge, and participation in both electoral (e.g., party membership and voting) and nonelectoral (e.g., demonstrations and political consumerism) forms of political action. We find that a politically active mother can have a role-model effect (net of other factors, such as education and age, that might affect a woman's level of political engagement) and that her influence outweighs that of a politically active father.