According to some authors, the modernization process, besides bringing about major changes in the social structure (such as industrialization, urbanization and all its related effects), also fosters changes in the system of traditional values and attitudes in the direction of emergence of the so-called modern values - secular and self-expression values. Among the latter, one would include the acceptance of the principle of gender equality. The goal of this article is to verify, through the analysis of the LAPOP-Brazil 2007 survey, the degree to which Brazilian citizens - part of a modern but recently democratized society - are favorable to the equitable participation of women in the formal political arena. The data show that, even though the majority in Brazil theoretically accepts the participation of women in politics, the rejection of the principle of gender equality, when occurs, is associated with social and moral conservative values and attitudes and with low support for democracy - which indicates that pockets of traditional, conservative and authoritarian values still predominates in the Brazilian society.
gender equality; modernization; values; conservantism; authoritarianism
