Gender and politics

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Gender and politics, also called gender in politics, is a field of study in political science and gender studies that aims to understand the relationship between peoples' genders and phenomena in politics. Researchers of gender and politics study how peoples' political participation and experiences interact with their gender identity, and how ideas of gender shape political institutions and decision-making. Women's political participation in the context of patriarchal political systems is a particular focus of study. Gender and politics is an interdisciplinary field, drawing not just from political science and gender studies but also related fields such as feminist political thought, and peoples' gendered treatment is commonly seen as intersectionally linked to their entire social identity.

Contents

History

The history of gender and politics has a complex pathway, with a long series of political structures, personal attributes gendered social norms, and a wide societal context. [1] It takes place in a multitude of surroundings from the halls of power in either parliamentary or presidential democracy to the unpredictable turmoils of emerging democracies in APAC or LATAM. Central to grasp the existence of this history is knowing that political systems greatly affect women's ability to reach power. The researches reveal that parliamentary and semi-presidential systems give more room to women to attain top political positions than the presidential system does. [1] Inside these power centers women either chair policy agendas and political parties or become the general voices on women rights. [1] However, the way to power requires confrontation with a lot of obstacles. Women deal with gender bias, the sexism that is infused in the culture, and the formidable fight against the corruption. [1] Especially in countries like Asia and Latin America, it is the cult of family and connections that mostly make the road for female leaders, therefore, the question of political legacy and meritocracy is almost not here. In the USA, the patriarchal political cultures have always been sexist and discriminatory toward women, which widens the gender gap in participation. [2] Though achievements in formal participation of woman still have more to be done, society confines women in private circles limiting their involvement in public affairs. [2] There are themes that range from the social desirability effects of female leadership, and the impact of gender quotas and candidate training programs [3] There has been research that look into the contributions of party culture, the recruitment paradigms and the prejudicial sentiments towards women. [4] Studies provide insight on the high degree of individual features, political institutions, and social structures in influencing the political processes. [1] The multifaceted nature of women’s demands as healthcare providers and principled leaders, alternatively, is an indicator of both their achievements and the systemic hindrances they have faced throughout their careers. [4]

Scope and context

Overview

The study of gender and politics is concerned with how peoples' gender structures their participation in and experience of political events, and how political institutions are encoded with gendered ideas. [5] This study exists in the context that, historically and across countries, gender has been a core determinant of how resources are distributed, how policies are set, and who participates in political decision-making. [5] Because of the breadth covered by the subfield, it spans numerous areas of study in politics such as international relations, comparative politics, political philosophy, and public policy, and it draws from and builds on ideas in feminist political theory like intersectionality and modern conceptions of gender. [6] The study of gender and politics overlaps with the study of how other components of peoples' social identities interact with their political participation and experiences, with researchers particularly emphasizing that the interaction of gender and politics is intersectional and dependent on factors like peoples' race, class, and gender expression. [5]

The study of gender and politics may also be referred to as "gender in politics", [7] and is closely related to the study of "women and politics" or "women in politics", which may also be used synecdochically to refer to the connection between gender and politics. [8]

In a study conducted by Amy Friesenhahn called At the Intersection of Gender and Party: Legislative Freedom, we see how intricate the study of gender and politics is. The study delves into the intricate dynamics of gender and politics, particularly focusing on the behavior of politicians in relation to women-friendly districts. The findings shed light on how district characteristics influence legislative freedom and party defections on women's issue roll-call votes among both Democratic and Republican members of Congress. The study reveals that Democratic women MCs representing moderately women-friendly districts are more likely to defect from party on women’s issue roll-call votes than their partisan counterparts who are men. On the other hand, there are no apparent gender differences in party defection among Republican MCs on women’s issue roll-call votes. However, the Republican women-friendly district effect increases the likelihood of Republicans defecting from party on women’s issues. The research also highlights the importance of district-level demographic characteristics as a conditional explanatory factor for Republican MCs exercising legislative freedom on women’s issues. It suggests that as districts become more women-friendly, Republican MCs, even men, will likely serve as substantive representatives for women’s interests. Moreover, the study acknowledges certain limitations, such as the inability of existing measures to capture the likely success of women candidates of color. Future research is encouraged to delve deeper into intersectionality and the effects of descriptive representation in terms of race and gender, combined with district characteristics, on women’s issue roll-call voting behavior. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on gender and politics, providing insights into how district characteristics intersect with gender to influence political behavior. It underscores the nuanced nature of political representation and the need to further explore intersectional dynamics within political contexts. [9]

Women and politics

Countries by share of women in parliament Countries-by-share-of-women-in-parliament.png
Countries by share of women in parliament

A central concern in the study of gender and politics is the patriarchal exclusion of women from politics, which is a common but not universal theme historically and across cultures. [5] As the involvement of women in public affairs increased across many societies during the 20th and 21st centuries, academic attention was also increasingly focused on the changing role of women in politics. For example, a common topic in the study of gender and politics is the participation of women as politicians, voters, and activists in a particular country. [10] [11] Since that participation exists in some political context, many scholars of gender and politics also study the political mechanisms that either enable or suppress women's participation in politics; women's social participation may increase or decrease as a result of political institutions, government policies, or social events. [12] [13] Another common topic of study is the impact on women of particular social policies, such as debates over women's rights, [14] reproductive rights, [15] women in government quotas, [16] and policies on violence against women. [17]

Gender and politics researchers have also analyzed the position of women in the discipline of political science, which has mirrored the broader societal trend of increasing inclusion and participation of women beginning in the second half of the 20th century. [5] [18]

Works and institutions

Gender and politics is the focus of the journals Politics & Gender [19] and the European Journal of Politics and Gender. Gender and politics is also the title of a book series, Gender and Politics, which launched in 2012 and published dozens of volumes over the next several years. [6]

There are a number of institutes and centers devoted to the study of gender and politics. The Center for American Women and Politics in the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University is dedicated to the study of women's political participation in the United States. [20] Other examples include the Women & Politics Institute at American University, which seeks "to close the gender gap in political leadership" by providing relevant academic training to young women, [21] and the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston which has a similar mandate. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sorensen, Ashley; Chen, Philip (September 2022). "Identity in Campaign Finance and Elections: The Impact of Gender and Race on Money Raised in 2010–2018 U.S. House Elections". Political Research Quarterly. 75 (3): 738–753. doi:10.1177/10659129211022846. ISSN   1065-9129.
  2. 1 2 Van Duyn, Emily; Peacock, Cynthia; Stroud, Natalie Jomini (April 2021). "The Gender Gap in Online News Comment Sections". Social Science Computer Review. 39 (2): 181–196. doi:10.1177/0894439319864876. ISSN   0894-4393.
  3. ↑ Sweet-Cushman, Jennie (2022-03-01). "Legislative vs. Executive Political Offices: How Gender Stereotypes Can Disadvantage Women in Either Office". Political Behavior. 44 (1): 411–434. doi:10.1007/s11109-021-09721-x. ISSN   1573-6687.
  4. 1 2 Thomsen, Danielle M.; King, Aaron S. (November 2020). "Women's Representation and the Gendered Pipeline to Power". American Political Science Review. 114 (4): 989–1000. doi:10.1017/S0003055420000404. ISSN   0003-0554.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Karen Celis; Johanna Kantola; Georgina Waylen; S. Laurel Weldon (March 2013). "Introduction: Gender and Politics: A Gendered World, a Gendered Discipline". In Karen Celis; Johanna Kantola; Georgina Waylen; S. Laurel Weldon (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Politics. Oxford University Press.
  6. 1 2 "Gender and Politics". Palgrave Macmillan. 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Pamela Paxton; Sheri Kunovich; Melanie M. Hughes (August 11, 2007). "Gender in Politics". Annual Review of Sociology. 33: 263–264. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131651. S2CID   9483072.
  8. ↑ Sarah Childs; Mona Lena Krook, eds. (March 18, 2010). Women, Gender, and Politics: A Reader. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195368819.
  9. ↑ Friesenhahn, Amy. XXXX. “At the Intersection of Gender and Party: Legislative Freedom.” Political Research Quarterly XX (X): 1-17.
  10. ↑ Julie Dolan; Melissa M. Deckman; Michele L. Swers (2016). Women and Politics: Paths to Power and Political Influence. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1442254756.
  11. ↑ Menon, Nivedita (1999). Gender and Politics in India. Oxford University Press. ISBN   0195658930.
  12. ↑ Naples, Nancy A. (April 26, 2017). "Introduction to the special issue: Women, gender and politics: An international overview". Social Sciences. 5 (2): 1.
  13. ↑ Mala Htun; S. Laurel Weldon (March 2010). "When Do Governments Promote Women's Rights? A Framework for the Comparative Analysis of Sex Equality Policy". Perspectives on Politics. 8 (1): 207–216. doi:10.1017/S1537592709992787. S2CID   153945965.
  14. ↑ Wolbrecht, Christina (July 16, 2000). The Politics of Women's Rights: Parties, Positions, and Change. Princeton University Press. ISBN   0691048576.
  15. ↑ Mottier, Véronique (March 2013). "Introduction: Gender and Politics: A Gendered World, a Gendered Discipline". In Karen Celis; Johanna Kantola; Georgina Waylen; S. Laurel Weldon (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Politics. Oxford University Press.
  16. ↑ Piscopo, Jennifer M. (July 2016). "When Informality Advantages Women: Quota Networks, Electoral Rules and Candidate Selection in Mexico". Government and Opposition. 51 (3): 487–512. doi: 10.1017/gov.2016.11 .
  17. ↑ Amoakohene, Margaret Ivy (December 2004). "Violence against women in Ghana: a look at women's perceptions and review of policy and social responses". Social Science & Medicine. 59 (1): 2373–2385. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.04.001. PMID   15450710.
  18. ↑ Meredith Reid Sarkees; Nancy E. McGlen (March 1999). "Misdirected Backlash: The Evolving Nature of Academia and the Status of Women in Political Science". PS: Political Science & Politics. 32 (1): 100–108. doi: 10.2307/420757 . JSTOR   420757. S2CID   113403434.
  19. ↑ "Politics & Gender". Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  20. ↑ "About CAWP: Mission". Center for American Women and Politics. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  21. ↑ "Mission & Purpose". Women & Politics Institute at American University. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy". Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston . Retrieved 23 November 2020.
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