Economic Man—Social Woman?

Abstract

Do differences in basic values and concerns underlie differences in the issue positions of women and men? This article uses a decomposition approach to assess the contribution of male-female differences in basic values and concerns to the gender gap in support for the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement in the 1988 Canadian federal election. Drawing on the work of Gilligan and other “difference” theorists, I theorize these differences in terms of “social woman” and “economic man.” The results support this interpretation. Men were more likely to bring economic considerations to bear in evaluating the agreement, whereas women's opinions were more likely to be influenced by their commitment to the welfare state and their greater concern for social programs. Women also proved to be more egalitarian and less persuaded of the virtues of competition and market solutions than were men.