Why Congress Needs Women: Bringing Sanity to the House and Senate

by Michele A. Paludi (Editor)

Overview

This book addresses women's civil strategies for negotiation and leadership through careful analysis of social science research and management theory as well as interviews with women legislators, documenting how women in Washington are affecting the development of the world at all levels.

In October 2013, after the war between Republican and Democratic men in Congress resulted in a government shutdown, Time magazine referred to the women legislators as "the only adults left in Washington." In Why Congress Needs Women: Bringing Sanity to the House and Senate, editor Michele A. Paludi and various contributors explain how women in Washington have redefined leadership and power by embracing a transformational leadership style: a style that incorporates empowerment, ethics, nurturance, inclusiveness, and social justice, transcending their own self-interests for the good of the group—or, in the case of the shut-down, for the good of the nation.

A resource that will prove invaluable for anyone interested in politics and leadership as well as students taking courses in politics, women's studies, gender studies, or management, the chapters provide an in-depth review of the ways women in Washington are striving to find lasting solutions to our nation's challenges. The contributors document the mindset and methodologies women legislators are using to achieve their legislative goals and work toward creating gender-equitable environments in Washington's well-established climate where bullying, harassment, and sexual exploitation is perceived as normative. Insights from interviews with women senators and congress members enhance the scholarship discussed in this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440832710
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/18/2016
Series:	Women's Psychology
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Michele A. Paludi, PhD, directs the human resource management certificate program at Union Graduate College where she is on the faculty in the School of Management. She is the author or editor of 50 college textbooks and more than 200 scholarly articles and conference presentations on sexual harassment, campus violence, psychology of women, gender, and discrimination.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword Michele A. Paludi xi

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction Michele A. Paludi xvii

Senator Rebecca Latimer Felton xlv

1 Examining Partisan Men and Women's Issue Emphases from Campaigns to Legislation Lindsey M. Meeks 1

Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin 19

2 A Truly Representative Political System Requires Women in Congress Breena E. Coates 21

Senator Margaret Chase Smith 29

3 Women in Leadership: A Consideration of Lingering Challenges and Intriguing Possibilities Jennifer L. Martin Lori M. Kumler 31

Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm 47

4 Gabrielle Giffords: The Embodiment of Determination, Courage, and Hope Katherine A. Scott Paula K. Lundberg-Love 49

Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers 59

5 Women and Leadership Melissa Alexander William Schweinle 61

Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum 71

6 Elizabeth Warren: The Voice of America's Future Felicia L. Mirghassemi Paula K. Lundberg-Love 73

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 83

7 Evaluation of Female Leaders: Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination Susan A. Basow 85

Congresswoman Maxine Waters 99

8 Social Stigma Faced by Female Leaders Whitney Botsford Morgan Veronica L. Gilrane Tracy C. McCausland Eden B. King 101

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz 119

9 Empowering Women Leaders to Rise above Microaggressions Kevin L. Nadal Vanessa Meterko Vivian M. Vargas Michelle Wideman 121

Senator Dianne Feinstein 137

10 Social Psychological Perspectives on Discrimination against Women Leaders Nicole L. Cundiff Margaret S. Stockdale 139

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi 155

11 Men's Perceptions of Women Leaders Patti J. Berg William Schweinle Betty Hulse 157

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik 169

12 "The Personal Is Political": From Personal Experiences with Sex Discrimination to Ensuring Equity for Girls and Women: Patsy Takemoto Mink Michele A. Paludi 171

Senator Barbara Mekulski 177

13 "It's a Small Wonder Why There Aren't More Women…": Carol Moseley Braun, the First African American Woman in the Senate Michele A. Paludi 179

Appendix A Organizations Dealing with Women, Leadership, and Politics 183

Appendix B National Resources: Campaign Trainings for Women 187

About the Editor and Contributors 191

Index 199