On average, men not only showed less empathy toward temporary agricultural laborers but also were less likely to see food supply and production as national security issues, according to a new study.

This particular finding relating to gender stood out from the rest of the study’s results. The survey was conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study was published in the journal Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy by Jeff Luckstead, WSU Assistant Professor in the School of Economic Sciences, and Rodolfo M. Nayga and Heather A. Snell, both at the University of Arkansas.

The gender anomaly notwithstanding, the study found that on average, people did shift their views toward food being a national security issue during the pandemic. They were also more empathetic toward H-2A workers because of the crisis.

Researchers found that gender played a strong role in other ways, too. On average, men believed that stay-at-home orders and related economic impacts were not justified. Men were also found to have viewed the shelter-in-place restrictions as an over-reaction on the part of local and state officials. Respondents’ political views on immigration did not change, the study found.

«The surprising part was how gender played a strong role in influencing responses,» Luckstead said. «It was the only statistically significant factor for all the questions we asked.»

Specializing in agricultural trade and policy analysis, Luckstead also studies immigration and its role in agriculture and food production.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Washington State University. Original written by Brandon Schrand, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.