Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Previous studies have noted the importance of descriptive representation for increasing elected officials’ discussion of women’s and minority issues. While increased attention to these issues is important for the representation of politically marginalized groups, these issues often constitute a minor portion of representatives’ agendas. Female, Latino and African American members may provide additional representation for their descriptive constituencies by addressing the unique interests of women and minorities in their discussion of issues which commonly top the political agenda. In this paper, I examine the extent to which representatives relate general issue discussion to race, ethnicity and gender, relying on a content analysis of congressional websites. The results demonstrate that female, Latino and African American House members more frequently connect general issues to race, ethnicity and gender; tailoring their discussion to provide additional representation for women and minorities on these politically salient issues. Party attachment and district composition are also found to significantly impact representation of women and minorities in this regard.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Hip Hop music has taken its place in popular culture. Because of hip hop’s widespread fame, artists within the industry have become candidates for role models and thus it is important to study their messages and the ideologies presented within them. This analysis uses ideological criticism to analyze the images promoted by female hip hop artists in their music and videos. It further considers what young African-American girls may be taking from these messages.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper analyzes the extent to which greater female representation in cabinet-level positions in advanced industrial democracies influences the implementation of additional female-friendly social policy.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Legislative effectiveness, as defined in this paper, refers to legislators' ability to advance their legislation through the stages of the policy process. Given previous research that shows women have different legislative styles and priorities than men, it is reasonable to ask whether women are equally skilled at the legislative process. Studies that have shown similar final bill passage rates for both male and female legislators ignore earlier and crucial steps of the process. This paper examines the impact of gender on legislative effectiveness at several stages of the process (the committee, House floor, Senate floor, and final bill passage) using data on all bills sponsored during the 100rd-104th Congress. Preliminary results indicate that female legislators are less successful at getting their bills out of committee, even after controlling for institutional constraints and member characteristics. In contrast, the model of House floor passage corroborates earlier studies that show gender is not a significant determinant of legislative effectiveness. This paper will also examine whether differences in legislative effectiveness between male and female legislators varies across policy areas.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Participants read a case vignette depicting female-female sexual harassment where the sexual orientation of the harasser (lesbian vs. straight) and type of sexual harassment (approach vs. reject vs. generalized) were counterbalanced across participants. Results show that sexual orientation of the harasser is the most important factor used to determine liability, with participants finding more liability for lesbian harassers than straight harassers. Participants also found the same conduct to be more severe, pervasive, unwelcome and threatening in the lesbian harasser condition. These findings illustrate biases mock jurors may hold when making legal decisions in female-female sexual harassment cases.