Abstract

Most conceptual research on equality revolves around theoretical texts or legal theory and decisions, thus reflecting the thought of legal, political, or cultural elites. But in a democratic polity, we must attend to the political thought not just of politicos and academics, but ordinary citizens as well. In terms of its political significance, “What does equality mean” requires answering the question: what does equality mean to the mass public? We thus probe the meanings of “gender equality” in the public mind, using a unique set of questions included in the National Election Studies 1991 Pilot Study, and con-textualized within the literatures of feminist and legal theory and political psychology and public opinion. Most importantly, we distinguish among “empirical” and “normative” equality and discontent and among the domains of the polity, economy, and family; feature the problem of “equality” versus “sameness” and consider the relationship of these orientations to people's own structural circumstances and their other policy and political attitudes. Among the key findings, empirical and normative equality and discontent are functionally different and grounded differently in people's everyday experiences; they distinguish among different domains of life and, especially, between public and private; and there are generational differences in the relationship of “equality” to “sameness.” We discuss substantive and methodological implications.