THE GENDER FACTOR IN SOVIET MASS POLITICS - SURVEY EVIDENCE FROM GREATER MOSCOW

Based on a representative sample of 504 respondents from the Moscow ob last of the Soviet Union, gender differences in both political and non -political variables (which may serve to explain the connection betwee n gender and the political) were investigated. With controls for age, education, income and membership in the Communist party, women were fo und to be more favorable to the Communist party, less in favor of radi cal change, less politically interested and efficacious, more likely t o vote but less likely to be involved in unconventional participation. Several intervening variables were examined as possible explanations for these gender differences, including feminist orientation, compassi on, religiosity and fatigue.