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Women, Politics, and Power
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Women, Politics, and Power
A Global Perspective

Third Edition
  • Pamela Paxton - University of Texas-Austin, USA, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
  • Melanie M. Hughes - University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, USA


December 2015 | 520 pages | CQ Press
Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective, Third Edition provides a clear, detailed introduction to women’s political participation and representation across a wide range of countries and regions. Through broad statistical overviews and detailed case-study accounts, it documents both historical trends and the contemporary state of women’s political strength. Readers see the cultural, structural, political, and international influences on women’s access to political power, and the difference women make once in political office. The text acknowledges differences among women through attention to intersectionality and women from marginalized groups.
 
Chapter 1: Introduction to Women in Politics
Arguments for Women's Representation in Politics

 
A Brief Overview of Women's Participation in Politics

 
Orienting Theories

 
Overview of the Book

 
 
Chapter 2: Women Struggle for the Vote
Social Movement Concepts

 
Suffrage in the United States

 
Women Gain the Vote: The Events Leading to the Passage of the 19th Amendment

 
The International Women's Movement

 
Women's Suffrage After 1945

 
Women Exercising Their Vote

 
 
Chapter 3: Women Struggle for Representation
First Women Members of Parliament

 
Women Access Parliaments: Historical Patterns of Representation

 
Women in Top Leadership Positions

 
Women in Cabinet Positions

 
Moving Up the Ladder: Women in Local Governance

 
 
Chapter 4: Explaining 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

 
Culture and Women's Representation in Politics

 
 
Chapter 5: Explaining the Political Representation of Women--Social Structure
Money

 
Time

 
Civic Skills and Community Participation

 
Education

 
Work

 
Economic Power

 
Informal Networks

 
Structural Arguments: The Evidence

 
 
Chapter 6: Explaining the Political Representation of Women--Politics
Democracy

 
Electoral Systems

 
Characteristics of Political Parties

 
From Candidate to Legislator

 
Quotas

 
 
Chapter 7: Explaining the Political Representation of Women--International Factors
The International Women's Movement

 
Does It Make a Difference?

 
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

 
 
Chapter 8: Do Women Make a Difference?
Thinking Differently: Women's Views on Women and Their Policy Priorities

 
Acting Differently: Women's Voting Patterns and Bill Sponsorship

 
Legislating Differently: Women's Legislative Style

 
Do Numbers Matter? Critical Mass and Women's Impact

 
Women's Movements and Women's Policy Machinery as Alternative Sources of Influence

 
Winning Hearts and Minds: Symbolic Representation

 
 
Chapter 9: Women from Marginalized Groups
Thinking Intersectionally

 
Double Barriers

 
Strategic Opportunities

 
Acknowledging Differences

 
 
Chapter 10: Regions: The West and the United States
The Geography of Women in Politics

 
Western Industrialized Countries

 
Middle of the Pack: The United States

 
 
Chapter 11: Eastern Europe and Central Asia
The Fall of the Soviet Union: Women Fall Too

 
Variation in Recovery

 
Explaining Women's Political Power Since 1990

 
 
Chapter 12: Latin America and the Caribbean
Legacies of Culture in Latin America

 
Democratization and Women's Political Empowerment

 
Gender Quotas

 
 
Chapter 13: Middle East and North Africa
An Overview and Brief History of the Region

 
Changes Come to Women of the Gulf Region

 
Forces for Change in the Region

 
Women and the Arab Spring

 
 
Chapter 14: Asia and the Pacific
Cultural Obstacles

 
Family Ties and Clientelism

 
Gender Quotas in Local Politics

 
The Political Representation of Women from Marginalized Groups

 
Women in Afghanistan

 
 
Chapter 15: Sub-Saharan Africa
Colonialism

 
One-Party Rule, Democracy and Democratization

 
Women, Ethnicity, and Nationalism

 
Armed Conflict: Devastation Yet Hope?

 
Continuing Challenges

 
 
Chapter 16: Where 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?

 

“This edition of Women, Politics, and Power is the best book that I have seen on the subject of women and politics.  Combining theory and data in a detailed yet very readable text, the authors show the progress that women have made in politics, where they stand now, and the obstacles remaining to full political equality for women, comparatively and globally.  It definitely warrants serious consideration by anyone teaching in this area.”

Stephen Robertson
Middle Tennessee State University

Women, Politics, and Power is a well-organized and clearly written text. Its multidisciplinary approach synthesizes research on women’s political power around the world, and its case studies provide valuable context and support.”

Miriam Levitt
University of Ottawa

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1


Pamela Marie Paxton

Pamela Paxton is professor of sociology and public affairs and the Christine and Stanley E. Adams, Jr. Centennial Professor in the Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in economics and sociology and her PhD in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has consulted for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Academies. She is the author of numerous scholarly articles on women in politics, which focus on statistical models of women’s parliamentary representation. Her research has appeared in a variety... More About Author

Melanie M. Hughes

Melanie M. Hughes is associate professor of sociology at The University of Pittsburgh. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001 with a degree in sociology and government and earned her PhD from The Ohio State University in 2008. Her affiliations include the Department of Political Science; the Ford Institute for Human Security; Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies; and Global Studies. She specializes in political representation of women from marginalized groups. Her research on women in politics has appeared in journals such as American Sociological Review, American Political Science... More About Author

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ISBN: 9781483376998
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