Investigating the Within-Individual Changes of Attitudinal Measures of Patriarchy: Implications for Power-Control Theory

Hagan et al.'s power-control theory (1985) posits that gender differences in delinquency and crime are at least partly attributed to the differential socialization processes that boys and girls experience within patriarchal versus egalitarian households. While empirical research has generally found support for a variety of hypotheses articulated from a power-control theoretical framework, no research to date has empirically investigated the life course implications of power-control theory. Using data extracted from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we offer a first attempt at integrating Hagan's power-control theory into a life course perspective. We first investigate whether within-individual attitudinal levels of patriarchy change over time. Assuming change occurs, we then explore the factors that are associated with these changes over time. Finally, we include in our analysis an investigation of within-individual levels of patriarchy over time across sub-groups defined by race. Theoretical implications for our research are discussed.