Women in politics in the American city

Jennifer M. Piscopo examines how the crisis of representation in Costa Rica has placed a ceiling on gender equality in representation. The restructuring of the Costa Rican party system and party fragmentation has made electing multiple candidates from any one ballot more difficult. Top spots have become even more prestigious and more likely to be allocated to men, which reduces women’s electoral chances. Corruption scandals, party breakdown, citizen frustration, and economic problems tainted the administration of the nation’s first female president, Laura Chinchilla. Female legislators have often worked to promote women’s issues and feminist policies, but Chinchilla eschewed feminism, even though several of her policies did benefit women. Overall, her failed presidency may create difficulties for other women seeking top political offices and could have negative consequences for views of women in politics. These challenges notwithstanding, Piscopo concludes that Costa Rica remains at the vanguard of women’s political representation in Latin America.

Download Full-text

Film Review: Flint: The Poisoning of an American City

Teaching Sociology ◽

10.1177/0092055x20983322 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 107-109

Author(s):

Matthew H. McLeskey

Keyword(s):

Film Review ◽

American City

Download Full-text

Corruption, Opportunity Networks, and Gender

Public Opinion Quarterly ◽

10.1093/poq/nfaa030 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nina Wiesehomeier ◽

Tània Verge

Keyword(s):

Conjoint Analysis ◽

Unethical Behavior ◽

Gender Stereotype ◽

Women In Politics ◽

Representative Survey ◽

Business Interests ◽

Female Politicians ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

And Gender

Abstract Given the gender stereotype that women are more ethical than men, people should assess female politicians as being less corruptible. Yet information about access to networks suggests that opportunities to engage in unethical behavior may counter this perception. Using a conjoint analysis in a nationally representative survey in Spain, a country shaken by corruption scandals, we asked respondents to identify the more corruptible politician between two hypothetical local councilors by imagining an investor willing to offer a bribe to advance business interests. Results indicate that female politicians do symbolically stand for honesty. However, this assessment is offset by embeddedness cues signaling a woman politician’s access to opportunity networks. We discuss our findings in light of instrumentalist arguments for an increase of women in politics as a means to combat corruption.

Download Full-text