This is an award under the Grants for Improving Doctoral Dissertation Research program. It is a study of factors that have shaped government policies toward women-related issues, focusing on sociopolitical variables, the roles of women's organizations, and the connection between feminization of poverty and gendered political activism. The research will center on statistical analysis of data for the fifty American states, 1960-1990. This research will contribute to the political sociology of social movements and government policy making, and to the knowledge base concerning gender issues necessary for policy decisions. In addition to the scientific gains to be achieved by the research, this award will materially assist a highly promising student in completing research for the Ph.D. dissertation. Thus it contributes to the future scientific manpower of the nation and the thorough training of the next generation of sociologists.
