What Drives Feminist Identification in Spain? A Structural Analysis of Affective, Perceptual, and Ideological Pathways

Abstract

Feminist identification has become an increasingly salient yet contested collective identity in contemporary societies marked by political polarization. This study examines how affective, perceptual, and ideological dimensions are associated with feminist identification in Spain, using data from a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 4005). Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the relationships between sympathy for progressive social movements, perceived gender discrimination, political ideology (understood as left–right political alignment), and feminist identification, with gender-stratified models estimated separately for women and men. Results indicate that affective alignment with progressive social movements and recognition of gender discrimination are consistently associated with feminist identification in both gender-stratified models. Political ideology shows a more limited pattern, emerging as significantly associated with feminist identification in the model estimated for women but not in the model estimated for men. Overall, the findings suggest that feminist identification in polarized contexts is anchored primarily in affective resonance and perceived injustice, while ideological positioning operates more conditionally, highlighting distinct relational configurations across the gender-stratified models in relation to feminist identification.