Daddy’s Little Girl
For years we have understood the importance a father plays in girl’s life. Now, it seems that having a daughter may return the favor.
In remarkable research, the sociologist Rebecca Warner and the economist Ebonya Washington have shown that the gender of a person’s children seems to influence the attitudes and actions of the parent.
Warner (1991) and Warner and Steel (1999) study American and Canadian mothers and fathers. The authors’ key finding is that support for policies designed to address gender equity is greater among parents with daughters. This result emerges particularly strongly for fathers. Because parents invest a significant amount of themselves in their children, the authors argue, the anticipated and actual struggles that offspring face, and the public policies that tackle those, matter to those parents. . . The authors demonstrate that people who parent only daughters are more likely to hold feminist views (for example, to favor affirmative action).
By collecting data on the voting records of US congressmen, Washington (2004) is able to go beyond this. She provides persuasive evidence that congressmen with female children tend to vote liberally on reproductive rights issues such as teen access to contraceptives. In a revision, Washington (2008) argues for a wider result, namely, that the congressmen vote more liberally on a range of issues such as working families flexibility and tax-free education.
Seems like a no-brainer to me. In fact, some of the most macho, sexist men I’ve ever known changed their ways once they had a daughter. Bravo, or should I say… Brava!
Tags: Science
Mike Castle + no children = GOP Lackey
Beau Biden + 2 children (1F,1M) = Cool
An old friend of mine wrote that after having a daughter, the wings at Hooters didn’t taste as good.
Kinda along the lines of Chris Rock’s “Keep her off the pole” skit?
It is funny watching Mr. Pandora with our daughter. She really is getting her feminist outlook from him. Subtle messages, but, oh so, important.
Did they do any research in Delaware? What happens to personal political viewpoints where your daughter is also your neice?
I think it makes sense that a man should be able to see more clearly the extra hurdles girls face when they have a daughter. The hurdles start very young. I guess they don’t quite see them after marrying, as much?
Was that a zing UI?
Not really nemski, but I was curious why marrying a woman wouldn’t open eyes as much as having a daughter. My experience has been when you tell grown men “this happened to me” they tend to not believe you or try to explain it away. Not so much when it’s your kid, I guess.
My experience has been when you tell grown men “this happened to me” they tend to not believe you or try to explain it away. Not so much when it’s your kid, I guess.
That is probably just your interpretation. I don’t think men would really act like that.
We’re really thinking, Not this again!. 😉
I’m with UI on this one. It makes sense to me that a man will have more “protective” feelings towards his daughter than his wife. Of course a husband’s duty is to protect his wife AND children; but when the rubber meets the road, who comes first? This is not to diminish the love between husband and wife, but a lot of people experience guilt associated with a newborn because they feel a love that seems stronger than for their spouse.
A grown woman is also much more capable of protecting herself than a young girl.
Men also have a possibly irrational feeling that girls are more vulnerable than boys. I believe that, but I’m a 22%er, so who knows.
I’m not so sure about this study, “tax-free education” seems like an odd phrase concerning quote “liberal” tendencies. And it’s only sampling politicians, are they really indicative of the rest of us? I’d have to know more about the methodology; but alas, I don’t care that much.
Oh yeah, and women lie a lot more than little girls.
zing!
Men and women marry as fully formed adults (in most cases!). I think having a daughter lets men experience the path their wives have taken. Think of it as immersion therapy.
Exactly pandora.
That is probably just your interpretation. I don’t think men would really act like that.
That’s exactly the mentality. Most guys who aren’t jerks can’t believe that adults (mostly men, but women too) would say those things or act like that.
Having a daughter and a son has been an eye opening experience in sexism – which cuts both ways.
I feel a post coming on!