Abstract
This paper addresses discrepancies in previous research about whether there are gender differences in Jewish identity. Four factors of Jewish identity are examined: multifaceted Jewish engagement, social Jewish identity, communal religious identity, and cultural Jewish identity. Using the 2011 New York Jewish Community Survey, gender differences in Jewish identity in seven denominational groups of American Jews are examined. The power control theory (PCT) is tested as an explanation for the gender differences, and found to be lacking. Measures of power imbalance in current family situations are used, in addition to measures related to socialization; the rationale for this variation is discussed. According to PCT, the Orthodox would exhibit greater gender differences in Jewish identity, but the opposite is true: significant gender differences are found for non-Orthodox denominations more than are found for the Orthodox. Being raised Orthodox does not contribute to the gender differences. Measures of power imbalance within families do not contribute to the explanation of variance in any of the Jewish identity factors. Possible generalization of the findings is discussed, as well as directions for further research.
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Notes
Household weights were provided to make the sample more representative of the population. For simple cross-tabulations, frequencies and means presented in this paper, weights are used. For factor analyses, correlations, regression analysis, and tests of significance, however, weights are not used, as it is the relationship between variables which is at issue rather than the actual representativeness of the population.
This could happen if they were responding to the survey because someone else in the household identified as Jewish.
There were an additional 7 indicators of Jewish identity, but they were only asked of a portion of the sample so they were not used in the construction of the identity factors we describe below.
These two variables were belonging to an online Jewish group, and an index of how connected the respondent was to Jewish social networks (both friends and family). The single variable of how many of the respondent’s closest friends were Jewish fit into the factor analysis better.
After the four-factor solution was determined, each factor was run as a separate factor analysis to verify that it was only one factor. The factor scores from that separate factor analysis were used for the indicator. In this way, scores from each of the factors were determined independently of each other.
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Hartman, H. Gender Differences in American Jewish Identity: Testing the Power Control Theory Explanation. Rev Relig Res 58, 407–431 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-016-0248-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13644-016-0248-3