This One’s for the Boys: How Gendered Political Socialization Limits Girls’ Political Ambition and Interest

This article develops and tests a new theoretical framework, gendered political socialization , which offers important insights into how children perceive gender in politics the consequences of these perceptions on sex differences interest ambition. Based data from 1,604 who live four different regions across United States, we find that not only to be male-dominated space, but with age, girls increasingly see leadership as “man’s world.” Simultaneously, grow older, they internalize expectations, direct their interests toward professions embody traits fit own sex. One result this mismatch between women is express lower levels ambition than do boys.