{"id":2471,"date":"2016-09-26T09:15:44","date_gmt":"2016-09-26T14:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/ssn\/?p=2471"},"modified":"2016-09-26T09:58:31","modified_gmt":"2016-09-26T14:58:31","slug":"politics-gender-stereotypes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/ssn\/2016\/09\/26\/politics-gender-stereotypes\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Gender Stereotypes A Problem For Female Candidates?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"17791505970_ff4210071a_z\"<\/a>
Posters in Washington D.C display a popular photo of Hillary Clinton texting while she served as Secretary of State<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Originally posted on Oct. 14, 2015<\/em><\/p>\n

Nearly 175 women ran for House and Senate seats in the 2014 congressional elections, and enough of them won to push women\u2019s ranks to a record high of 104 members in Congress. More women are running for U.S. political offices then at any other time in history, but they remain underrepresented at all levels. Women hold only a fifth of seats in Congress, a quarter of state legislative posts, and six out of fifty gubernatorial seats \u2013 and of course no woman has as yet been nominated for the presidency by a major party. Female candidates face many obstacles \u2013 including lack of support from party gatekeepers. My research focuses on the role of gender stereotypes as a potential source of bias among voters.<\/p>\n

The Political Relevance of Gender Stereotypes<\/h3>\n

Gender stereotypes are concepts about the traits, roles, and behaviors appropriate for women and men. Feminine stereotypes characterize women as more caring, compassionate, and emotional than their male counterparts, who tend to be seen as tough, assertive, and decisive. In politics, masculine stereotypes can be a source of advantage because they match longstanding popular expectations for political leaders, while feminine stereotypes contradict those expectations.<\/p>\n

Scholars debate the extent to which gender stereotypes affect voter perceptions of women candidates. Some studies argue that gender stereotypes can be helpful because they give female candidates an aura of empathy and honesty \u2013 valued traits for political leaders. Other studies argue that such stereotypes lead voters to see female candidates as <\/span>lacking<\/span><\/i> crucial masculine qualities. One reason for mixed findings, I argue, is that previous studies assume voters will <\/span>always<\/span><\/i> see female candidates through the lens of gender stereotypes. I test this assumption and show that voters only use feminine stereotypes under specific conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Theory of Conditional Stereotype Reliance<\/h3>\n

<\/div>Most individuals can define feminine stereotypes, but this does not mean people use these ideas to judge all women they encounter. For example, a person who sees a woman walking down the street is unlikely to automatically believe she is sensitive and over-emotional. Psychological research suggests that people only use stereotypes to judge others when the relevant concepts are \u201cactivated\u201d \u2013 that is, when the concepts come to mind and seem relevant. Noticing that a person is a woman is, by itself, unlikely to activate feminine stereotypes. However, seeing a woman with a baby can call these concepts to mind, activating them as a basis for judgment. Seeing a mother brings to mind other feminine qualities such as sensitivity, compassion, and emotionality.Voters only think about stereotypical qualities when they receive feminine information about a woman candidate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is how this process of activation can work in politics. Simply seeing a woman\u2019s name on a ballot will not lead voters to think the candidate is weak, passive, and over-emotional. However, reading a news article that describes a female candidate as caring can encourage voters to ascribe additional feminine qualities to her. Essentially, the hypothesis is that voters only think about stereotypical qualities when they receive feminine information about a woman candidate. When activated, however, voters will use gendered concepts to evaluate the leadership abilities of female candidates. In those specific circumstances, voters may use feminine stereotypes to infer that a woman candidate <\/span>lacks<\/span><\/i> key qualifications deemed necessary for political office. <\/span><\/p>\n

Testing the Theory<\/h3>\n

I tested my hypotheses using two approaches: a survey experiment and an analysis of the impact of feminine stereotypes in campaign ads on votes in U.S. House Congressional elections. <\/span><\/p>\n