Date of Award
6-20-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Dana Garbarski
Abstract
The measurement of gender is an evolving area of survey research. Extant research has assessed different approaches for measuring gender identity and expression among adults; however, comparatively less research has evaluated their use among adolescents who are developing their gender identity and expression. This dissertation uses data from a nationally representative survey of U.S. teens and their parents to evaluate multidimensional measures of gender in adolescents. Three research questions represent separate empirical chapters of the dissertation. The first research question examines the measurement of femininity and masculinity in adolescents based on a comparison of different survey scales. The second research question considers the quality of parent reports of their teen’s gender identity and expression. The third research question assesses different ways of using survey data to define gender minority status. Broadly, the dissertation helps bridge gaps between gender theory and survey practice and further understandings of pathways between gender identity and expression and adolescent development outcomes. Improvements in multidimensional measurement of gender can help advance data quality and, ultimately, the evidence-based interventions in support of gender minority communities that survey data help to inform.
Recommended Citation
Hansen, Christopher, "Gender Diversity in U.S. Adolescents: An Exploration of Multidimensional Survey Measures of Gender and Their Associations with Health and Social Outcomes Using a National Sample of Adolescent-Parent Dyads" (2024). Dissertations. 4085.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/4085
