Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective: Pamela Paxton: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Description

Women, Politics, and Power provides a clear and detailed introduction to women’s political participation and representation across all branches of government and a wide range of countries and regions. Using broad statistical overviews and detailed case-study accounts, authors Pamela Paxton, Melanie M. Hughes, and Tiffany D. Barnes document both historical trends and the contemporary state of women’s political strength across diverse countries.

The text considers experiences of women from a range of marginalized groups, including racial, ethnic, and religious minorities; indigenous peoples; and those that face discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Readers will learn about cultural, structural, political, and international influences on women’s access to political power, about the old and new barriers women continue to face like violence, and about the difference women make once in political office. Dedicated chapters on six geographic regions highlight distinct influences and patterns in different parts of the world. There is simply no other book that offers such a thorough and multidisciplinary synthesis of research on women’s political power around the world.

The fifth edition includes the latest information available on women in politics around the world, including current events as they have unfolded across the globe. The newest thinking in the field is presented, including on violence against women in politics and intersectional approaches.

List of Illustrations
Preface
About the Authors
1Introduction to Women in Politics
Arguments for Women’s Representation in Politics
The Story of Mukhtar Mai: Village Council Justice
Wife Beating in Nigeria: De Jure versus De Facto Law
Standing Against Party: The Sister Senators of South Carolina Resist a Total Abortion Ban
Justice Arguments for Women’s Representation
Utility Arguments for Women’s Representation
A Brief Overview of Women’s Participation in Politics
Orienting Theories
Power
The Dimensions of Power: An Example
Gender and Gender Stratification
Gender and Power Concepts: Patriarchy, Public versus Private, and Intersectionality
Feminist Institutionalism
Overview of the Book
2Women Struggle for the Vote: The History of Women’s Suffrage
Suffrage in the United States
Women’s Suffrage and the US Constitution
Gender Transgressions at the Polls in Early America
Women and the Antislavery Movement: The Struggle Begins
The Leadership, Organization, and Tactics of the Early Suffrage Movement
Black Women and the US Suffrage Movement
The State Suffrage Movement: Why the West Was Best
Partnering with the Progressive Movement
Opposition to Women’s Suffrage
Women Gain the Vote: The Events Leading to the Passage of the 19th Amendment
Suffrage Movements outside the United States
Movement Size, Composition, and Alliances
Goals and Ideology
Movement Opposition
Tactics and Level of Militancy
Women’s Suffrage after 1945
Women Exercising Their Vote
3Positions and Pathways: Women’s Representation in Government
Government Structures and Positions of Power
Women Presidents and Prime Ministers
Paths to Power for Women National Leaders
Difficulties Faced by Women Leaders
Women in Cabinet Positions
Women in Parliaments
Milestones and Historical Trajectories
Women in Parliaments Today
Women in the Judiciary
Women in Subnational Governments
4Intersectionality and Difference
Thinking Intersectionally
Slower and Lower: Double and Triple Barriers in Politics
Multiple Barriers to Indigenous Women in Politics
Multiple Barriers to Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex People in Politics
The Puzzle of Success: Strategic Opportunities and Complementarity
When Identities Collide: The Rights and Representation of Minority Women
When All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men: Invisibility and Its Political Consequences
But Who Represents Us? Multiple Marginalization and Symbolic Representation
5Explaining the Political Representation of Women: Culture
A Woman’s Place in History: Women in Political Philosophy
A Woman’s Place Today: The Continuing Power of Culture
Regional Differences
Religion
Cultural Attitudes
Culture and Women’s Representation in Politics
Ambition
Role Model Effects
Media
6Explaining the Political Representation of Women: Social Structure
Economic Development
Money
Time
Civic and Political Skills
Education
Work
Networks
Beyond Meritocracy
Violence against Women in Politics
7Explaining the Political Representation of Women: Politics
Democracy
Democratic Leaders Appoint More Women
Democracies May Not Elect More Women
Democratic Transitions and Backslides
Selection Mechanisms
Electoral Systems
Why Are Proportional Representation Systems Good for Women?
Types of Proportional Representation Systems
Are the Same Systems and Rules Good for All Women?
Political Appointments
Cabinet Appointments
Judicial Appointments
Political Parties’ Characteristics
From Candidate to Legislator
Quotas
What Kinds of Quotas Are There and Which Are Better?
Threshold for Representation
Candidate Quotas, Political Party Quotas, and Reserved Seats
Quotas, Looking beyond Gender
¡SOY JUANA, No “Juanita”!: Quota Reform in Mexico
Looking beyond National Legislatures
The Adoption of Gender Quotas
Do Quotas Affect Candidate Quality? Can Quotas Disrupt Men’s Power?
8Explaining the Political Representation of Women: International Factors
The International Women’s Movement
Women’s Activism: United Nations, WINGOs, and International Protest
Women’s Activism Increases the Supply and Demand of Women in Politics
Foreign Aid and Women’s Representation
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
Armed Conflict and Women’s Access to Power: International Dimensions
9Do Women Make a Difference?
Thinking Differently: Women’s Views on Women and Their Policy Priorities
Acting Differently: Women’s Voting Patterns, Bill Sponsorship, and
Appellate Court Rulings
Acting Successfully: Women’s Legislative Effectiveness
Legislating Differently: Women’s Legislative Style
Do Numbers Matter?
Women’s Movements and Women’s Policy Machinery
Winning Hearts and Minds: Symbolic Representation
10The West and the United States
The Geography of Women in Politics
Western Industrialized Countries
Success Stories: Early Nordic Growth, Parity, and Imbalanced Cabinets
Backlash: Harassment and Violence Against Woman Politicians
Women in the European Union
Middle of the Pack: The United States
Women in the US Senate and House of Representatives: Growing Slowly
Women in the States
Women in the State Legislature
Women Governors
Women and the American Presidency
I Just Don’t Think She Has a Presidential Look
Explanations—Culture
Explanations—Structure (Eligibility)
Explanations—Politics
Gender Gaps in American Politics
Party Affiliation
Voter Turnout
Campaign Activities
11Eastern Europe and Central Asia
The Fall of the Soviet Union: Women Fall Too
Variation in Recovery
Explaining Women’s Political Power since 1990
Eastern and Central Europe and the European Union
Populism and the Far-Right Bring Backslides
Women Press Back
12Latin America and the Caribbean
Legacies of Culture in Latin America
Democratization and Women’s Political Empowerment
Women’s Participation in Guerrilla Warfare and Revolutionary Movements
Women’s Participation in Protest Movements
Participation to Representation?
Gender Quotas
Obstacles to Women’s Political Power
Women in Subnational Governments Make Big Gains
Setbacks and Challenges for Women in Politics
13Middle East and North Africa
An Overview and Brief History of the Region
What Explains Women’s Underrepresentation?
Why Authoritarian Leaders Grant Women Rights
Changes Come to Women of the Gulf Coast Region
Wins for Women in Bahrain
A “Sudden Surge” in the UAE
Forces for Change in the Region
Gender Quotas: A Look at Early Adopters
Raising Awareness about Women’s Underrepresentation in Turkey
Women and the Arab Spring
Tahrir Square Brings Little Improvement for Women in Egypt
After the Arab Spring
14Asia and the Pacific
Cultural Influences on Women in Politics in Asia and the Pacific Islands
Confucianism
Honor Culture
Women Voters (Not) Supporting Women Politicians
Family Ties and Clientelism
Party Politics and Local Gender Quotas
Local Gender Quotas in India: Women in the Panchayat Raj
Women in Afghanistan
15Sub-Saharan Africa
Colonialism
One-Party Rule, Democracy, and Democratization
Women, Ethnicity, and Ethnic Politics
Armed Conflict: Devastation Yet Hope?
Increasing the Supply of Women Candidates
Changing Culture
Creating Opportunities and Changing Politics
Gender and the Presidency in Africa
16Where Do We Go from Here? And How Do We Get There?
Where Are We Now?
Where Are We Going?
How Do We Get There?
Furthering Women’s Position in the Social Structure
Influencing Culture
Disrupting Politics as Usual
In Conclusion: What Would a 50/50 World Look Like?
Glossary
References
Index

Product details

Published	Jan 07 2025
Format	Paperback
Edition	5th
Extent	596
ISBN	9781538184202
Imprint	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Illustrations	37 BW Illustrations, 32 BW Photos, 15 Maps, 12 Tables
Dimensions	229 x 152 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Women, Politics, and Power is my go-to course book for undergraduate courses and an essential resource for graduate students and scholars working on gender and politics. It expertly reviews the most cutting-edge research and puts it all in conversation with where the discipline is heading.

Amanda Clayton, The University of California, Berkeley
This is the book you want your students to read before class; accessible and comprehensive; engaging and pacy; combining conceptual clarity alongside illustrative empirical examples; and introductory and yet extensively illustrated, substantiated, and evidenced. Women, Politics, and Power is a critical resource too for the lecturer, with its focus in the first section on historical patterns, theories of representation, and intersectionality and difference, followed by a second section that provides global coverage via a deeper regional overview. Its in-text referencing and extensive bibliography enables all readers to thereafter follow their own interests in politics and gender yet further.

Sarah Childs, University of Edinburgh
This is the most comprehensive and accessible textbook on women, gender, and politics from a global perspective. The book reflects the state-of-the-art literature and provides powerful vignettes to illustrate key points. Situating women in U.S. politics in a comparative context is an especially useful contribution.

Aili Mari Tripp, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Women, Politics, and Power is a must-read text for all students and researchers seeking a compact yet thorough summary of the key developments in the field of women's political representation. The book takes a global and intersectional perspective. The chapters cover the latest cutting-edge research, including backlash to women's political empowerment. I use this book for all my gender and politics courses.

Jennifer M. Piscopo, Royal Holloway, University of London
Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective is a tour de force. The authors thoughtfully examine when women access power, why they remain excluded, why representation matters, and what a more gender-equal political world could look like. With impressive breadth and depth, the book integrates classic theories and the latest scholarship, spanning from the suffrage movement to today, across world regions. It is essential reading for anyone teaching or researching gender and politics.

Diana Z. O'Brien, Bela Kornitzer Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Washington University in Saint Louis
With each new edition, Women, Politics, and Power, by Paxton, Hughes, and Barnes, cements its reputation as the essential introduction to gender and politics. This updated volume masterfully combines historical insight with state-of-the-art research and the latest influential theoretical approaches, offering a global perspective on the field's most pressing issues. Comprehensive and topical, the book is an invaluable resource for anyone engaged with the study of gender and politics.

Elin Bjarnegård, Uppsala University