Research

My dissertation explores the politicization of anti-gender sentiment within radical right contexts and specifically examines the conditions under which anti-gender attitudes translate into electoral support for radical right parties. These projects are currently in progress:

When Do Attitudes Translate into Votes? Antifeminism, Opinion Climates, and Radical Right Voting

A large body of research demonstrates that political attitudes—such as those toward migration, gender equality, or climate policy—are closely associated with support for radical right parties. However, it remains largely unclear under which social conditions these attitudes actually translate into vote choice. This study addresses this gap by examining how perceptions of public opinion structure the political activation of individual attitudes. Theoretically, the analysis draws on norm-based approaches, most notably the Spiral of Silence theory. Empirically, the study focuses on gender politics in Germany and investigates whether perceived feminist or antifeminist majorities moderate the relationship between antifeminist attitudes and voting for the radical right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).

Using logistic regression models and German survey data from 2025, the analysis examines this attitude–behavior translation mechanism. The findings show that a linear majority–minority logic, as implied by the Spiral of Silence, falls short. Instead, the results reveal a negative curvilinear moderation: antifeminist attitudes are most strongly translated into radical right voting when the opinion climate is perceived as ambivalent. When feminist or antifeminist positions are perceived as prevalent, this relationship weakens substantially. Normative ambiguity thus opens a “window of political activation,” while perceived dominance has a demobilizing effect. These findings help understanding why radical right actors benefit from divisive and conflict-oriented narratives and why periods of normative contestation are particularly susceptible to radical right mobilization. The study contributes to research on antifeminism, radical right voting, as well as on the micro-level mechanisms of political normalization and Spiral of Silence research.

Attitude Change or Attitude Activation? Explaining the Gender Voting Gap through Anti-Gender Attitudes in Germany

In co-authorship with Alexia Katsanidou

In many Western democracies, a “modern gender gap” has emerged in recent years: men are more likely to vote for extreme right parties, while women tend to support progressive left-leaning ones. In Germany, this divide is particularly visible in voting for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Prior research has established that anti-egalitarian gender attitudes are associated with right-wing voting. Yet, most studies rely on cross-sectional data and therefore cannot explain why this gender gap is widening over time.

This paper investigates whether changes in and politicization of gender attitudes can account for the growing gender voting gap in Germany. Drawing on backlash theory and status threat perspectives, we test two complementary mechanisms. The first, an attitude-change mechanism, assumes that shifts in gender attitudes – particularly increasing traditionalism and antifeminism among men – contribute to a growing divide in party preferences. The second, an attitude-activation mechanism, assumes that gender attitudes have become more politically salient, i.e., that their influence on voting behavior has increased even if the attitudes themselves may have remained largely stable. Both mechanisms are examined separately for men and women to assess gender-specific dynamics in attitudinal change and political responsiveness.

Empirically, we use panel data from the GESIS Panel.pop (2021 and 2024) linking measures of antifeminism, gender role attitudes, sexism, and perceptions of discrimination to actual voting behavior. Applying hybrid panel models allows us to separate between-person differences from within-person changes, and to test whether attitude shifts or increasing political activation explain the gendered polarization in AfD voting. By tracing attitudinal and contextual processes within individuals, this study advances our understanding of how gendered cultural conflict may fuel electoral polarization.

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. The planned study aims to examine how the gender issue is connected to citizens left-right political orientation over time. I specifically focus on gender role attitudes in the family using EVS and ISSP data. With data spanning more than two decades, cross-country regression analysis is used and difference-in-difference analyses are conducted to better assess the impact of right-wing populist parties in political systems.