Feminist Ideology, Race, and Political Participation: a Second Look

Abstract

FN EMINIST ideology ought to increase the political participation of its female adherents. By providing a definition of women's stake in the world outside the traditional, private homeplace, feminism should increase the relevance of political action to the life of the individual and, thus, increase her participation (Kelly and Boutilier 1978: 297307). By encouraging active involvement in the polity, feminism should act in much the same fashion as other civic orientations in increasing a woman's political participation (Verba and Nie: 133-36). By prescribing changes in policies, feminism should lead its proponents to the advocacy of noncentrist political positions which, more than centrist ones, motivate activism (Nie, Verba, Petrocik 1979: 206-9). The relationship between feminist ideology and political participation cannot be expected to be a strong one. There are multiplicities of factors which enhance or depress political participation thereby obscuring the relationship between it and any one of the causal factors. The relationship between feminism and political participation should, nevertheless, be apparent and positive. The more adherents hold to a feminist ideology whick seeks full and equal participation of women in the existing structures of (Fulenwider 1980: 24), the more they should be expected to participate in politics. The most radical of feminists, however, may not be the most affected by their ideology. If they reject the existing structures of society or if their feminism leads just to alienation from contemporary politicians and politics, not from the system itself (Fulenwider 1980: 92), ordinary electoral campaign participation may be reduced and political participation confined to other activities. Radical advocates of extreme change, rather than reform, may face frustration and consequently depressed conventional activity in the wake of only incremental change (cf. Beck and Jennings 1979). Antifeminism, in contrast, seems somewhat contradictory to active political participation and may, as a result, have less straightforward consequences. Some antifeminists may well stay out of the political arena because traditional gender roles specify less public roles for women. Other