ABSTRACT
This chapter considers an important syndrome of political attitude and behavior patterns associated with development and asks about the degree to which its constituent orientations and their determinants vary as a function of gender. It provides a brief introduction to the concept of participant citizenship, identifying its major defining components, discussing its relevance and limitations for understanding political development, and setting forth the goals of this investigation of its gender-linked determinants. In 1968 the character of the Tunisian political system began to change, losing much of its ideological zeal and institutional effectiveness. Differently, involvement in the modernization process gave rise to positive political orientations only among men in the competitive political climate that prevailed in 1973. Low levels of participant citizenship among women cannot but hinder the creation of a positive and civic-oriented national political culture, and should women inculcate their political orientations among their offspring, as seems likely, the job of nation building will be set back even further.
