Family Structure and Youth Gender Ideologies in Germany and South Korea

Sage Open, Volume 14, Issue 3, July-September 2024.
Although gender ideologies influence many outcomes, research shows they often fluctuate across the life course. Family structure transitions are one mechanism through which gender ideologies change. Divorced and single adults report more egalitarian ideologies than stably married adults. Little research has examined whether children in these families experience similar gender ideologies. Based on parental role modeling, we would expect children in non-traditional families to exhibit more egalitarian gender ideologies. We examine family structure and youth gender ideologies in two contexts, essentially two case studies: Germany and South Korea. Using Starting Cohort 3—Grade 5 (N = 4,021) and Starting Cohort 4—Grade 9 (N = 9,913) of the Germany National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and Cohorts 1 (N = 2,844) and 2 (N = 3,449) of the Korea Youth Panel Survey (KYPS), we uncover counterintuitive findings that youth gender ideologies do not vary across family structures. Child gender is the most salient predictor of gender ideologies across contexts.Plain Language SummaryLittle research has examined whether children experience more egalitarian or less egalitarian gender based beliefs across various family structures, including step-families, single parent families, and two parent families. Based on parental role modeling, we would expect children in non-traditional families to exhibit more egalitarian gender beliefs. We examine family structure and youth gender ideologies in two contexts: Germany (NEPS) and South Korea (KYPS). Using Starting Cohort 3—Grade 5 (N = 4,021) and Starting Cohort 4—Grade 9 (N = 9,913) of the Germany National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and Cohorts 1 (N = 2,844) and 2 (N = 3,449) of the Korea Youth Panel Survey (KYPS), we uncover counterintuitive findings that youth gender ideologies do not vary across family structures, but that it is the youth’s gender that is the most important predictor of a youth’s gender beliefs.

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