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Authors: Pantea Beigi
Keywords: gender, politics, career, mayors, identity, ambition
Abstract: Political leadership has historically been defined as a male endeavor. Thus, despite the large enforcement of quota systems and gender parity policies, women continue to face unique psychological, social and organizational barriers to leadership attainment and retainment in politics. This is particularly evident in light of recent World Economic Forum reports, which suggest that due in part to the underrepresentation of women in politics, it will take up to 202 years to reach global gender parity. As of November 2018, only 24 percent of all national parliamentarians were women - a slow increase from 11.3 percent in 1995. While most scholarship on the underrepresentation of women in politics is focused on gender quotas at the national level, few have examined the gendered nature of career pathways and trajectories, which take shape at more early career stages and in more local levels of politics. This study aims to explore the implications of gender on career pathways and trajectories at the mayoral/municipal level, which is often the pipeline to the attainment of higher office in politics. A minimum of [N=30] U.S. mayors, consisting of an equal ratio of female to male participants in comparative age, career stage, and city size categories will complete semi structured interviews, which focus on three sections of their working lives: journey to present-day mayoral position, current leadership experience, and future plans for attainment of higher office, and retainment or relinquishment of current office. Study findings will be analyzed using a mixed-methods approach, which includes qualitative comparative analysis.