Adults' constructions of gender: A lifespan Q methodological study

Recent qualitative research suggests that adults' understandings and views about gender are complex and multidimensional. Nevertheless, many quantitative gender measures employ unidimensional scales that rank participants along a single dimension, such as liberallegalitarian to conservativeltraditional. In order to explore complexities of gender understandings, this study explored adults' constructions of gender using Q methodology. A diverse sample of 180 urban Canadian adults from three age groups (20- I 39,40-59, and 60 and over) completed the main phase of the study. Participants sorted a set of 61 statements in a specified distribution from 'most agree' to 'most disagree'. The 61 statements focused on gender theories, gender in children, gender in adults, sexuality, transgender, and intersex. Principal components analysis with oblique rotation was used to identify five distinct perspectives on gender: Gender Diversity, Social Essentialism, Biological Progressive, Gender Minimizing, and Different But Equal. These perspectives were interpreted based on patterns of Q-sort responses and interviews with representative participants. The five perspectives combined divergent understandings of gender with varied responses to gender conformity and nonconformity. Almost one quarter of participants' Q-sorts combined two or more perspectives and approximately 10% of participants' Q-sorts reflected none of these perspectives. The complexity of participants' perspectives suggest that unidimensional inventories may fail to identify important differences in participants' understandings, assumptions and attitudes about genderrelated issues. In addition, responses to gender nonconformity were important in differentiating perspectives. Therefore instruments that include a narrow range of gendered behaviour risk overlooking these distinctions in adults' gender constructions. Finally, the substantial overlap in policies advocated by the Biological Progressive and Gender Diversity perspectives suggests potential for coalition-building across perspectives to challenge gender-based oppression.