Comparing three South African student cohorts on their attitudes to the rights of working women

Abstract

This study compares three cohorts (1998-1999, 2005-2006 and 2010) of undergraduate psychology students at a South African university on the level of support for working women (women in paid employment) on various issues considered to be feminist. Cohort 1 (n=244), cohort 2 (n=311) and cohort 3 (n=266) completed an adapted version of a questionnaire used by the Research Group on Women and Work (Kitch, S. L. 1994. We're All in this Alone: Career Women's Attitudes Toward Feminism. In Women and Careers: Issues and Challenges, edited by C. W. Konek and S. L. Kitch. London: Sage). The expected liberalisation of attitudes over the cohorts was evident for the females but not for the males: the second male cohort had more conservative attitudes than the first and third male cohorts. While there appeared to be strong overall support for gender equality in work and educational fields, there were equally solid endorsements of the importance of marriage and motherhood for working women. Across the cohorts there were somewhat moderate attitudes on the need for structural change in the family and at work. The implications of the findings are considered.