Research
Protest Against Feminism? The Role of Anti-Feminist Attitudes and Second-Order Beliefs in Right-Wing Populist Voting | Prior research has demonstrated links between traditional gender attitudes, opposition to gender equality, and sexism, and support for right-wing populist (RWP) parties, primarily explained by conservative-traditionalist values of RWP party voters. This perspective, however, overlooks that voting for a RWP party based on its gender agenda may also function as a form of protest against what is perceived as a feminist society or a dogmatic elite. The paper in progress therefore examines the extent to which anti-feminist attitudes––understood as a targeted rejection of feminism and feminist movements––increase the likelihood of voting for a RWP party, focusing on the “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD) in Germany. Going further, it explores how second-order beliefs, defined as individuals’ perceptions of societal consensus concerning gender equality, moderate this relationship. It is hypothesized that extreme second-order beliefs, whether tending to strong pro- or anti-gender equality, amplify the protest dynamic in RWP voting. Hence, both perceptions of a 'gender mainstreaming' (pro-gender) or a 'will of the people against an elite’s gender ideology' (anti-gender second-order beliefs) should encourage a RWP party vote. The moderation analyses conducted uses representative German survey data from 2025 (Push*Back*Lash Survey).
My dissertation explores the politicization of anti-gender sentiment within right-wing populist contexts and examines the conditions under which anti-gender attitudes influence anti-democratic thought and voting behaviors. These projects are currently in progress:
Do differences in men's and women's gender attitudes drive the gender gap in voting for the AfD? | German panel data from 2021 and 2025 will be used to analyse how anti-feminist and sexist attitudes have developed over the last four years. I will be examine if an increase in anti-gender attitudes increases the likelihood of holding populist attitudes and voting for the right-wing populist AfD. It is also examined whether differences in men’s and women’s gender attitudes drive the gender gap in right-wing populist voting.
In co-authorship with Alexia Katsanidou: Politicization of the gender issue across European countries. | Previous research on political dimensionality has viewed the gender issue as a component of the established left-right dimension rather than a cross-cutting issue with other political dimensions. Our planned study aims to examine how the gender issue is connected to citizens left-right political orientation over time. We specifically focus on gender role attitudes in the family using EVS and ISSP data. With data spanning more than two decades, we conduct cross-country regression analysis. To better assess the impact of right-wing populist parties in political systems we conduct difference-in-difference analysis.
Work
Since 2023, I have been working at GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences in Cologne, Germany, where I contribute to the research project Push*Back*Lash. This Horizon Europe-funded project addresses anti-gender backlash and the pushback against democratic values, providing insights into the actors, attitudes, and agendas opposing gender equality, alongside strategies to counteract these challenges.
As part of Push*Back*Lash, I compare citizen perspectives on gender equality over time and across countries and examine how individual gender attitudes evolve throughout the life course. I also contribute to analyzing the dynamics of attention toward gender equality issues across space, time, and institutional settings. This includes investigating how these issues appear on institutional agendas, the actors and strategies involved, the intersections with other issues, and how they move across different venues, regions, and temporal contexts.