Hi Aditya. Thanks for the comment. I don't pretend that this is an exhaustive list, but I'm curious what do you think is a more compelling explanation?
"A recent survey found that young women are significantly more likely than young men to say they are physically attracted to individuals of the same gender. In fact, only 56 percent of young women are exclusively attracted to men, compared to three-quarters of young men who say they are only attracted to women."
I anticipated this when gay marriage was legalized. I was laughed at.
This is really fascinating stuff! I wonder if you’d consider revising your comments about religion-politics relations to specify that it’s really Christianity, not religion, you’re talking about. You write, “ Americans who participate in regular religious practices or embrace traditional religious beliefs express more conservative views.” However, the linked data show that this is not the case for Jews, Hindus, or Buddhists; it’s mostly driven by Protestants and Mormons. Thanks again for this great piece!
The American left generally appealed more to the struggle of minorities against oppression than to class struggle (as here in Europe).
This does not happen by accident, it happens because the U.S. has a history of large minorities being oppressed from birth because of skin color, for example, so this political orientation can also be electorally paying.
So the political narrative of the liberal left in the US is one of the struggle of discriminated minorities for emancipation rather than that of the workers striking to demand a higher wage as was commonplace here in Europe.
Emancipation of minorities is what the American leftist political discourse is all about, and women though not a minority are nevertheless minorities in certain specific places and in certain roles.
For example, they are minorities in the military, they are minorities in the construction sites, and they are minorities among CEOs of large corporations.
Leaving aside the construction sites, where for some reason I cannot fathom gender equality is not sought, the topic of CEOs provides in the minds of women an excellent justification for why things don't work out well for them: because they are discriminated against!
By definition, all of them, by default!
So if you are a woman, if you are educated but still don't have your dream job or salary, the liberal left will tell you that it is the fault of the patriarchy and then simultaneously give you a militant place among their ranks, and most importantly an excuse for your failure to achieve your life goals: "there is the glass ceiling that prevents you from rising above it."
By this I don't mean to sound misogynistic: failure to achieve one's goals is, I think, the dominant figure for 99 percent of the population (me included!), and somehow we are all looking for justifications to explain that if we didn't make it, it's not our fault after all...
All of these factors are relevant contributors. However, I am a middle aged woman with an advanced degree, three adult children and a husband of 30+ years. I was raised in conservative evangelical churches and raised my kids in the same (from which two have mostly or completely departed). It has taken a long time, but I am finally fed up with patriarchal church organizations that relegate women to women's and childrens' ministry. When capable women are not allowed to lead in all areas of the church, a network of less qualified men within the church tend to promulgate a culture that treats women as second class. My generation was raised to accept this in the church. I would warn younger women away from church organizations where they notice the restrictions that are put on women's participation on leadership, and unfortunately those churches are quite common in the southern Bible belt.
Curious about the absolute amounts in the liberal self-identification stats. I’m particularly surprised that neither young men nor young women have majorities identifying as liberal. Was the question a straight binary (liberal vs. conservative) or on some kind of spectrum with a set of moderate options? Essentially, is this the political extreme only, or anything left of center?
Thank you- this is very interesting and I can't find relevant research here in Australia (but then we are usually 20 years behind in these matters). Kind Regards
Really interesting read. Do you have any links to the research regarding LGBTQ identity not aligning with sexual preferences? And the propositions that identity may be an expression of support or affirmation?
Hi Aditya. Thanks for the comment. I don't pretend that this is an exhaustive list, but I'm curious what do you think is a more compelling explanation?
Hi Neel. It's based on Gallup data. It's a self-identity question: liberal, moderate or conservative. Only 1 in 4 Americans currently identify as liberal. https://news.gallup.com/poll/388988/political-ideology-steady-conservatives-moderates-tie.aspx
"A recent survey found that young women are significantly more likely than young men to say they are physically attracted to individuals of the same gender. In fact, only 56 percent of young women are exclusively attracted to men, compared to three-quarters of young men who say they are only attracted to women."
I anticipated this when gay marriage was legalized. I was laughed at.
Fascinating statistics. What's the source for the marital status figures? Is it even lower for young men?
Lots to think about here. Shows the power of education and demographics. Some of the best people I know are young women!
This is really fascinating stuff! I wonder if you’d consider revising your comments about religion-politics relations to specify that it’s really Christianity, not religion, you’re talking about. You write, “ Americans who participate in regular religious practices or embrace traditional religious beliefs express more conservative views.” However, the linked data show that this is not the case for Jews, Hindus, or Buddhists; it’s mostly driven by Protestants and Mormons. Thanks again for this great piece!
I suggest another hypothesis.
The American left generally appealed more to the struggle of minorities against oppression than to class struggle (as here in Europe).
This does not happen by accident, it happens because the U.S. has a history of large minorities being oppressed from birth because of skin color, for example, so this political orientation can also be electorally paying.
So the political narrative of the liberal left in the US is one of the struggle of discriminated minorities for emancipation rather than that of the workers striking to demand a higher wage as was commonplace here in Europe.
Emancipation of minorities is what the American leftist political discourse is all about, and women though not a minority are nevertheless minorities in certain specific places and in certain roles.
For example, they are minorities in the military, they are minorities in the construction sites, and they are minorities among CEOs of large corporations.
Leaving aside the construction sites, where for some reason I cannot fathom gender equality is not sought, the topic of CEOs provides in the minds of women an excellent justification for why things don't work out well for them: because they are discriminated against!
By definition, all of them, by default!
So if you are a woman, if you are educated but still don't have your dream job or salary, the liberal left will tell you that it is the fault of the patriarchy and then simultaneously give you a militant place among their ranks, and most importantly an excuse for your failure to achieve your life goals: "there is the glass ceiling that prevents you from rising above it."
By this I don't mean to sound misogynistic: failure to achieve one's goals is, I think, the dominant figure for 99 percent of the population (me included!), and somehow we are all looking for justifications to explain that if we didn't make it, it's not our fault after all...
All of these factors are relevant contributors. However, I am a middle aged woman with an advanced degree, three adult children and a husband of 30+ years. I was raised in conservative evangelical churches and raised my kids in the same (from which two have mostly or completely departed). It has taken a long time, but I am finally fed up with patriarchal church organizations that relegate women to women's and childrens' ministry. When capable women are not allowed to lead in all areas of the church, a network of less qualified men within the church tend to promulgate a culture that treats women as second class. My generation was raised to accept this in the church. I would warn younger women away from church organizations where they notice the restrictions that are put on women's participation on leadership, and unfortunately those churches are quite common in the southern Bible belt.
Curious about the absolute amounts in the liberal self-identification stats. I’m particularly surprised that neither young men nor young women have majorities identifying as liberal. Was the question a straight binary (liberal vs. conservative) or on some kind of spectrum with a set of moderate options? Essentially, is this the political extreme only, or anything left of center?
I think this is missing the main causes.
Thank you- this is very interesting and I can't find relevant research here in Australia (but then we are usually 20 years behind in these matters). Kind Regards
Really interesting read. Do you have any links to the research regarding LGBTQ identity not aligning with sexual preferences? And the propositions that identity may be an expression of support or affirmation?