Newswise — When Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to join the presidential ticket of a major political party in 1984 she intensified the debates about the integration of women into American politics, and she prompted scholarly attention to gender dynamics in the political arena.
With the nomination of Alaska governor Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket, what has changed for women in politics? Are Americans still divided over women's social roles as leaders and caregivers? Does the media still treat women differently than their male counterparts? Does a woman's appearance and family status still overshadow her policy issues, as research has demonstrated? How will Palin's candidacy be viewed in light of Hillary Clinton's historic prominence as a presidential candidate? Will the Republican Party, or the media, play up Palin as a "symbolic woman," or have we passed identity politics as a key strategy?
These are among the questions that will be examined by graduate and undergraduate students in a class on gender and political communication at The University of Alabama. They will compare media coverage and public reaction to Palin with earlier reactions to Ferraro, and they will assess the impact of Hillary Clinton in the 2008 campaign, as the first viable female presidential candidate.
Project participants will release a public report on their findings in December.
The project, dubbed "The Palin Watch," will be directed by Dr. Janis Edwards, associate professor of communication studies in the UA College of Communication and Information Sciences and editor of a forthcoming book on gender and political communication in America. Edwards has written extensively on the roles and rhetoric of women candidates and first ladies, and their representation in political cartoons and other media formats, for a number of academic journals and conferences.
The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.
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