Women’s participation in the United States is shaped by the changing landscape of the country’s cultural history. Through an exploration of the political socialization of women, the authors give students a powerful way to understand the gender gap in political attitudes, patterns of women’s political participation, and women as members of the political elite.
For this new second edition the authors have updated every chapter with new content and data. Greater coverage of the interaction of gender, race, class, ethnicity, and age is integrated throughout and alongside additional material on feminism, Title IX, origins of the gender gap, and more on agents of socialization.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1. Women, Culture, and Political Participation
- Women’s Status in a Liberal Culture
- Women and Cultural Change
- Women’s Political Participation: Colonial Times to 1920
CHAPTER 2. Women, Culture, and Political Socialization
- Cultural Change and Gender Role Expectations
- Gender Role Expectations and Political Socialization
- Cultural Change and the Agents of Socialization
- It’s a Man’s World, but Times Are Changing
CHAPTER 3. Gender Differences in Political Attitudes, Beliefs, and Policy Preferences
- Explaining Gender Differences in Political
- Orientation
- Gender Differences in Political Preferences
CHAPTER 4. Differences among Women: Does Group Identification Explain Political Orientation?
- Patterns of Group Consciousness
- Relationship Between Feminist Orientation and Political Attitudes and Policy Preferences
- Assessing the Political Implications of Differences in Policy Preferences
CHAPTER 5. Women’s Political Participation
- Patterns of Political Participation
- Explanations for Patterns of Political Participation
CHAPTER 6. Opening the Doors to Political Power: Women as Members of the Political Elite
- Women, Power, and the Political Culture
- Women’s Political Participation: A Closer Look
- Women as Officeholders
- Conclusion
CHAPTER 7. Women, Politics, and Cultural Change
- From The Past to The Present
- The Outlook for Women: Positive Signs, Negative Portents
Index
Bio(s)
M. Margaret Conway, University of Florida
M. Margaret Conway is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. Among her publications are Political Participation in the United States, Third Edition (2000), The Politics of Asian American (2004), and Women and Political Participation, Second Edition (2005) and Women and Public Policy, Third Edition (2005), on which she is coauthor. She has published widely in academic journals, including the American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, andWomen and Politics.
David W. Ahern, University of Dayton
David W. Ahern is professor of political science at the University of Dayton. He is coauthor of Women and Political Participation, Second Edition (2005). His articles on political socialization have appeared in Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Behavior, and Simulation and Games.
Gertrude A. Steuernagel, Kent State University
Gertrude A. Steuernagel is professor of political science at Kent State University. She is coauthor of Women and Political Participation, Second Edition (2005), and Women and Public Policy, Third Edition (2005). Her research and teaching interests include women and politics, women's health, autism policy, and political theory.
