1st Edition
Women and Politics A Quest for Political Equality in an Age of Economic Inequality
This textbook presents a much-needed exploration of the many ways that women in the United States have used their voices in the political process.
Written in a concise and accessible style, Women and Politics equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to understand the political involvement of women as individuals and their efforts to achieve political and economic equity as a group. This textbook is both historical, examining trends, and contemporary, focusing on participation and the public policy concerns of women in the early decades of the 21st century.
Key content and features:
· Exploration of diverse actions women have taken to achieve empowerment and gender equity
· Surveys women as voters, as candidates for elected office, and as interest group organizers lobbying for equity in public policy and for global women’s rights
· Chronicles protest actions against unequal practices of economic and governmental elites
· Highlights the actions of women with few economic resources that join together to challenge local power structures.
Readers will appreciate Burrell's valuable insights on the multiple political voices of American women and the challenges of economic inequality in their quest for political equality.
1. Introduction
2. The First and Second Women’s Rights Movements
3. Women’s Political Voice and Economic Inequality
4. Gender, Voting, Electioneering and Public Opinion
5. Political Parties: Bringing Women into the Electoral Arena
6. "Doing Politics:" Women’s Empowerment and Community Activism
7. Women’s NGOs: Advocating for Global Women’s Rights
8. Women’s Candidacies for Elected Office
9. The 2016 Presidential Election and the First Woman President?
10. Public Policy on Women’s Rights and Equity Issues
11. Women’s Political Participation in a Comparative Perspective
Biography
Barbara Burrell is Professor Emerita of Political Science at Northern Illinois University. She has taught women and politics classes at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Burrell has researched and written extensively on women engaging in politics in the United States, including studies on women as candidates for public office and public opinion and the first ladyship. The Midwest Political Science Association’s Women’s Caucus awarded Professor Burrell a lifetime career achievement award in 2012.
'In this book, Barbara Burrell draws on a wealth empirical data to provide an insightful and accessible account of women’s long and unfinished struggle for political equality and empowerment. This book is perfect for gender and politics courses at the undergraduate or graduate level, as well as for anyone concerned about issues of equality, and inequality, in the United States.' - Laurel Elder, Professor of Political Science, Hartwick College
'In this book, Barbara Burrell makes visible the myriad ways in which women have engaged, influenced, and disrupted politics. In expanding the sites in which to identify political practice and providing key economic context, Burrell offers a contemporary and comprehensive assessment of women's political interventions and power.' - Kelly Dittmar, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University
