ATTITUDES TOWARD COHABITATION, FAMILY, AND GENDER-ROLES - RELATIONSHIPS TO VALUES AND POLITICAL-IDEOLOGY

This study investigates four hypotheses concerning relationships betwe en values or beliefs and attitudes toward cohabitation, family and gen der roles. These are the Social Concerns Hypothesis, the Political Ide ology Hypothesis, the Higher Order Needs Hypothesis, and the Consumeri sm Hypothesis. Each hypothesis has been tested, using data from severa l nationally representative subsamples of white high school seniors. A s predicted by the Social Concerns Hypothesis, students with more soci al concerns had more favorable attitudes toward gender equality and no ntraditional gender roles, particularly among males. This finding sugg ests that, for males, concern for fairness and the well-being of other s may be an important motive for support for gender equality and accep tance of nontraditional gender roles. As predicted by the Political Id eology Hypothesis, conservative political beliefs were associated with traditional attitudes toward cohabitation, family, and gender roles. In contrast, our findings provide only weak support for the Higher Ord er Needs Hypothesis, and our findings suggest that the Consumerism Hyp othesis should be reformulated.