Gender & Politics (ÜWP) - Detailseite

Short Summary: 

This course delves into the comparative analysis of women's roles in politics and the challenges they encounter in attaining positions of power within the political arena. Historically, politics has been predominantly male-centric, with women facing significant hurdles to participation. However, in recent decades, there has been a notable global expansion of women's involvement in politics. Women have not only gained the right to vote and run for office in many countries but have also engaged in mobilization, organization, and affiliation with women's movements, leading to their representation in national, regional, and local governments.

The entry of women into politics has sparked changes in political practices and policy priorities worldwide. However, the degree of this transformation varies considerably across different countries and regions. What factors underlie these variations? Why have some political systems successfully integrated women into politics while others lag behind? Do men and women approach politics differently in terms of understanding and engagement? Is there a disparity in political involvement and aspirations between genders? Additionally, how has media coverage affected female candidates? Furthermore, once in power, do women govern differently from men?

The seminar is split into two parts. The first part explores various aspects of women's involvement in politics, such as the historical struggle for women's suffrage, the gender gap in voting behavior, ideology, and political involvement, and their variation across countries and time. The second part focuses on various aspects of women's representation in political institutions, including the challenges they face when seeking public office, their portrayal in the media, their impact on political decision-making, and the relationship between their presence and corruption. 

• Teele, Dawn L. (2019). Forging the franchise: The political origins of the women's vote. Princeton University Press.
• Paxton, Pamela, Melanie M. Hughes, and Tiffany D. Barnes (2020). Women, politics, and power: A global perspective. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 

Requirements: 

Students’ willingness to engage with quantitative research and methods is necessary. We will focus on quantitative research. Familiarity with descriptive and inferential statistics is therefore strongly recommended. The general language of communication is English.