Representing Women: Sex, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in Arizona and California Contributor(s): Reingold, Beth (Author) |
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ISBN: 0807848506 ISBN-13: 9780807848500 Publisher: University of North Carolina Press OUR PRICE: $40.38 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 2000 Annotation: This comparative study examines the behavior of male and female members of the Arizona and California state legislatures to investigate whether "who" our representatives are determines "what" they will do. Beth Reingold challenges many of the assumptions that underlie popular expectations of women and men in politics. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Political Science | American Government - State - Social Science | Gender Studies - Political Science | American Government - Legislative Branch |
Dewey: 328.791 |
LCCN: 99053084 |
Lexile Measure: 1610 |
Physical Information: 0.89" H x 6.18" W x 9.27" (1.18 lbs) 352 pages |
Themes: - Geographic Orientation - Arizona - Geographic Orientation - California - Sex & Gender - Feminine - Cultural Region - Southwest U.S. - Cultural Region - Western U.S. - Cultural Region - West Coast |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Women in public office are often assumed to "make a difference" for women, as women--in other words, to represent their female constituents better than do their male counterparts. But is sex really an accurate predictor of a legislator's political choices and actions? In this book, Beth Reingold compares the representational activities and attitudes of male and female members of the Arizona and California state legislatures to illuminate the broader implications of the election and integration of women into public office. In the process, she challenges many of the assumptions that underlie popular expectations of women and men in politics. Using in-depth interviews, survey responses, and legislative records, Reingold actually uncovers more similarities between female and male politicians than differences. Moreover, the stories she presents strongly suggest that rather than assuming that who our representatives are determines what they will do in office, we must acknowledge the possibility that the influence of gender on legislative behavior can be weakened, distorted, or accentuated by powerful forces within the social and political contexts of elective office. |
Contributor Bio(s): Reingold, Beth: - Beth Reingold is associate professor of political science and women's studies at Emory University in Atlanta. |