A step to the left? Gender ideologies and political party identification in Germany.

This article examines the relationship between gender ideologies and political party identification among young adults in Germany, using data from the 2012 Leitbild Survey. It identifies four main gender ideology profiles—unidimensional egalitarian and moderate traditional, as well as ambivalent, multidimensional secondary earner and intensive parenting classes—and finds that egalitarian ideologies are associated with centre-left party identification, while moderate traditional and ambivalent multidimensional ideologies tend to align more with centre-right parties or no party preference. The findings suggest that ambivalent, multidimensional gender ideologies, which blend traditional and egalitarian views, may represent a form of modified traditionalism rather than a shift toward egalitarianism, reflecting a transitional and potentially stalled stage in Germany’s gender revolution. The study highlights the importance of gender ideologies in shaping political preferences and social change, while noting limitations such as the cross-sectional design and the focus on a specific age group.