A Simple Difference of Opinion? Religious Beliefs and Gender Gaps in Public Opinion in Canada

Abstract

This article criticizes two aspects of the current research on Canadian gender gaps: first, the focus on issues in which women reveal more liberal attitudes than men at the expense of other issues; second, the implicit and unstated assumption that when women and men think alike on an issue, it is for very similar reasons. Examining data from the 1993 Canadian Election Study, the author argues that religious beliefs must be accorded a greater role in determining gender gaps, a conclusion drawn from extending analysis to a broader set of issues. In addition, the evidence suggests that even on questions on which women and men appear to agree, their reasons for holding these similar opinions sometimes differ.