Roles or Values? Gender Differences in Opposition to Nuclear Power
Richard M. Simon

Abstract
Research on the relationship between gender and attitudes toward nuclear power has consistently revealed that women are more skeptical toward nuclear power than men. Studies of how gendered experiences shape attitudes toward nuclear power focus on two types of explanations. The first emphasizes differences in social roles associated with men and women, with specific reference to gender differences in childrearing responsibilities. The second kind of explanation focuses on gender differences in values acquired through socialization. Drawing on data from the Eurobarometer 72.2, this study utilizes measures of both gender roles and gender values to predict women’s opposition to nuclear power. It finds that women with more traditional gender values are more likely to oppose nuclear power, but only when they do not care for dependent children. Women living with children are more likely to oppose nuclear power than women who do not live with children, and more likely to oppose nuclear power than men living with children. For women who live with children, gender values have no significant effect on opposition to nuclear power.

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