Why Congress Needs Women: Bringing Sanity to the House and Senate(Women's Psychology)

This book addresses women's civil strategies for negotiation and leadership through careful analysis of social science research and management theory as well as interviews with women legislators, documenting how women in Washington are affecting the development of the world at all levels. In October 2013, after the war between Republican and Democratic men in Congress resulted in a government shutdown, Time magazine referred to the women legislators as "the only adults left in Washington." In Why Congress Needs Women: Bringing Sanity to the House and Senate, editor Michele A. Paludi and various contributors explain how women in Washington have redefined leadership and power by embracing a transformational leadership style: a style that incorporates empowerment, ethics, nurturance, inclusiveness, and social justice, transcending their own self-interests for the good of the group—or, in the case of the shut-down, for the good of the nation. A resource that will prove invaluable for anyone interested in politics and leadership as well as students taking courses in politics, women's studies, gender studies, or management, the chapters provide an in-depth review of the ways women in Washington are striving to find lasting solutions to our nation's challenges. The contributors document the mindset and methodologies women legislators are using to achieve their legislative goals and work toward creating gender-equitable environments in Washington's well-established climate where bullying, harassment, and sexual exploitation is perceived as normative. Insights from interviews with women senators and congress members enhance the scholarship discussed in this book.

Table of Contents:
Series Foreword Michele A. Paludi Acknowledgments Introduction Michele A. Paludi Senator Rebecca Latimer Felton 1. Examining Partisan Men and Women's Issue Emphases from Campaigns to Legislation Lindsey M. Meeks Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin 2. A Truly Representative Political System Requires Women in Congress Breena E. Coates Senator Margaret Chase Smith 3. Women in Leadership: A Consideration of Lingering Challenges and Intriguing Possibilities Jennifer L. Martin and Lori M. Kumler Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm 4. Gabrielle Giffords: The Embodiment of Determination, Courage, and Hope Katherine A. Scott and Paula K. Lundberg-Love Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers 5. Women and Leadership Melissa Alexander and William Schweinle Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum 6. Elizabeth Warren: The Voice of America's Future Felicia L. Mirghassemi and Paula K. Lundberg-Love Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 7. Evaluation of Female Leaders: Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination Susan A. Basow Congresswoman Maxine Waters 8. Social Stigma Faced by Female Leaders Whitney Botsford Morgan, Veronica L. Gilrane, Tracy C. McCausland, and Eden B. King Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz 9. Empowering Women Leaders to Rise above Microaggressions Kevin L. Nadal, Vanessa Meterko, Vivian M. Vargas, and Michelle Wideman Senator Dianne Feinstein 10. Social Psychological Perspectives on Discrimination against Women Leaders Nicole L. Cundiff and Margaret S. Stockdale Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi 11. Men's Perceptions of Women Leaders Patti J. Berg, William Schweinle, and Betty Hulse Congresswoman Elise Stefanik 12. "The Personal Is Political": From Personal Experiences with Sex Discrimination to Ensuring Equity for Girls and Women: Patsy Takemoto Mink Michele A. Paludi Senator Barbara Mikulski 13. "It's a Small Wonder Why There Aren't More Women…": Carol Moseley Braun, the First African American Woman in the Senate Michele A. Paludi Appendix A: Organizations Dealing with Women, Leadership, and Politics Appendix B: National Resources: Campaign Trainings for Women About the Editor and Contributors Index

About the Author :
Michele A. Paludi, PhD, directs the human resource management certificate program at Union Graduate College where she is on the faculty in the School of Management. She is the author or editor of 50 college textbooks and more than 200 scholarly articles and conference presentations on sexual harassment, campus violence, psychology of women, gender, and discrimination.