Women and men in the project of reform - A study of gender differences among local officials in two provinces in Poland

Are there politically relevant differences between female and male local go vernment officials in postcommunist Poland? In structured interviews with 4 85 local officials in two provinces, the authors explored differences in te rms of ethical reasoning and attitudes toward anomalous groups. Women more strongly favored a model of ethical reasoning characterized by a concern fo r abstract principles of social cooperation than did their male counterpart s. On attitudes toward anomalous groups, women were more temperate than men an the issues of participation by former communists in contemporary govern ment and men had a less favorable view than women on participation of women in politics generally. Based on this study, gender may make a difference i n the practice of government in contemporary Poland.