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- Title
WOMEN IN LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICE: A CASE STUDY OF SOUTHWEST/WESTERN VIRGINIA.
- Authors
Van Assendelft, Laura; Stottlemeyr, Cythia
- Abstract
Research on women in politics has focused primarily on state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. Less is known about the backgrounds, motivations, and resources of women in local politics, particularly in rural areas. What draws these women into office at the local level? Do women in local politics confront the same barriers that women face at the state level and/or nationally? Do rural politics produce unique issues that women must address? A barrier to quantitative research on this topic has been the limited number of women serving in elective office in rural areas. This study, however, creates a larger database by examining the entire Southwest/Western region within Virginia, including forty-five counties. By surveying these women, more can be learned about the role that political socialization and family play in the decision to run for office; the cultural attitudes that may present barriers to women running for office; the role of political parties in recruiting women to run for local office; the role that local office plays as a breeding ground for candidates to run for higher office; and the different issues, styles of leadership, and goals that women may bring to the table.
- Subjects
VIRGINIA; WOMEN in politics; POLITICIANS; PRACTICAL politics; WOMEN in the civil service; WOMEN governors
- Publication
Virginia Social Science Journal, 2009, Vol 44, p1
- ISSN
0507-1305
- Publication type
Article