Exploring the Communication of Evangelical Families: The Association Between Evangelical Gender Role Ideology and Family Communication Patterns

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the Evangelical gender role ideologies termed Complementarianism and Egalitarianism and conversation- and conformity-orientation communication patterns stemming from the general theory of family communication. A nonrandom group (N = 124) of Evangelical parents were surveyed using a cross-sectional, self-report survey design. Specific differences were discovered in the perceptions of communication in families for individuals holding conservative Complementarian and progressive Egalitarian gender role ideologies. Evangelical parents who endorsed a more Egalitarian family gender role ideology reported greater use of conversation-oriented communication patterns in their families whereas respondents holding a more Complementarian family gender role ideology reported more use of conformity-oriented communication patterns in their families.

Keywords:

• Conformity-orientation
• Conversation-orientation
• Evangelical
• Family Communication
• Gender Role Ideology
• Gender Roles

This article was based on portions of the author's MA thesis under the direction of Marina Krcmar, Wake Forest University. A previous version of this article was presented at the 2008 Central States Communication Association convention. The author would like to thank Dr. Jordan Soliz, Dr. Jody Koenig Kellas, Allison R. Thorson, Christine E. Rittenour, the Editor, and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on previous drafts of this manuscript.

Notes

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01 (2-tailed).

Note. R ² = .04, Adjusted R ² = .00 for Step 1; R ² = .12, Adjusted R ² = .09 for Step 2.

∗p < .05, ∗∗p < .01.

Note. R ² = .00, Adjusted R ² = .06 for Step 1; R ² = .18, Adjusted R ² = .14 for Step 2.

∗p < .05, ∗∗p < .01.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Colleen Warner Colaner

Colleen Warner Colaner (MA, Wake Forest University, 2007) is a Doctoral Student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.