The "gender gap"-a significant divergence between men and women in their political perceptions and perspectives-has become a hot topic in contemporary American politics. But political differences between women and men are far from new. This course examines the impact of gender upon political behavior, political action, and political outcomes in the United States. Questions we ask include: How different are the political values, beliefs, and activities of women and men? Why are there fewer and fewer women as one goes up in the governmental hierarchy? And once women are in power, can and do they accommodate themselves to working within male-dominated political elites? How much has changed with the evolution of the women's movement as a political force, and what has been the public's response to it? What does it mean for a concern to be defined as a "women's issue," especially when women are on both sides? And how does our understanding of gender and of political action shift when we examine both in the contexts of class, race and/or sexuality? Requirements: short thought paper about approaches to studying gender and political action; one major term paper based on original research; take-home final exam. Prerequisites: Women's Studies 101 and/or acquaintance with methods of inquiry in social science desirable but not required.
COOK