The evolution of social attitudes towards issues such as children raised by single parents, children raised by same sex male couples and children without marriage represents a critical dimension of societal change over the past decades. These attitudinal shifts are driven by a complex interplay of social and political dynamics, with ideological orientations and party preferences playing a pivotal role. Political actors, particularly in democratic societies, shape public discourse surrounding these issues, creating significant alignment or divergence between political elites and voters (Inglehart & Welzel, 2005).
The aim of this paper is to investigate the longitudinal interplay between political ideologies, party preferences and voters' attitudes towards non-traditional families across diverse national contexts, utilizing data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and particularly from Modules about Family and Changing Gender Roles spanning the years from 1988. More specifically, the paper explores how political and ideological factors shape societal perspectives on sensitive social topics, specifically focusing on three research questions: 1. How have voters' attitudes towards single parenthood, same sex male parenting and children without marriage evolved over time? 2. What role do political ideologies, such as conservatism and progressivism, and party affiliations play in influencing these attitudes? 3. How does congruence between elite political discourse and voter preferences affect societal attitudes towards non-traditional family structures, particularly in the Greek context?
The analysis employs multilevel modeling to compare trends across different countries, examining three specific items related to the aforementioned issues and exploring how respondents' party choices and ideological self-positioning (e.g. voting for conservative or progressive parties) correlate with their attitudes, while taking into account the political context of each country. Moreover, the analysis will examine the extent to which political rhetoric and elite political discourse influence public opinion on these social topics and how this relationship varies across different national contexts, with a particular focus on the congruence between political elites and voters using Greece as a case study.
Given the longitudinal nature of the data, this paper aims to provide a nuanced understanding of how political ideologies and party preferences have shaped societal attitudes over time, particularly in the context of changing norms surrounding family structures. The anticipated findings are expected to provide robust evidence of the influence of political ideologies and party preferences in shaping societal attitudes towards single parenthood, same sex male parenting and children without marriage.
Finally, the findings are expected to contribute to broader discussions about the role of political elites in shaping social norms and values. By examining how political ideologies interact with public attitudes towards non-traditional family forms, this paper can inform policies aimed at fostering equality and social inclusion in the context of the "Data for Inclusive Societies" (DATIS) project.