Gender Differences in Support for Scientific Involvement 25 at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on February 21, 2016sth.sagepub.comDownloaded from

Many studies have documented gender differences in attitudes toward and experiences with science. Compared to men, for example, women are less likely to study scienceand topursue careers in science-related fields.Given these findings, should we expect gender differences in support for scientific involve-ment in U.S. environmental policy? This study empirically examines the rela-tionship of gender to attitudes toward science and preferred roles of scientists in environmental policy among various environmental policy participants. Data collected in late 2006 from national surveys of four different groups involved in environmental policy and management suggest that social context, including education and occupation, shapes the way that gender matters. Specifically, we find that gender is less important among scientists andmanagers than among interest groups and the general population regarding attitudes toward science and views about preferred roles of scientists in environmental decision making