Negotiating Gender Role Expectations: Rhetorical Leadership and Women in the US Senate

Authors

Michelle C. Bligh, Claremont Graduate UniversityFollow
Jeffrey C. Kohles, California State University - San Marcos

Document Type

Article

Department

Behavioral and Organizational Sciences (CGU)

Publication Date

2008

Disciplines

Organization Development | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

The historical paucity of US women senators has provided little opportunity to study women at one of the highest and most prestigious leadership levels. Through a content analysis of 12 months of public discourse in a variety of media, we explore the rhetorical leadership of women senators as they carry out their elected roles. Results indicate that women senators use significantly less aggressive and more ambivalent speech when compared to political norms, and are less likely to use terms denoting accomplishment, praise and human interest. Overall, our results suggest that women continue to feel the effects of gender stereotypes and expectations in higher levels of political office, and these effects may have important negative implications for perceptions of their leadership and effectiveness.

Rights Information

© 2008 SAGE Publications

DOI

10.1177/1742715008095187

Recommended Citation

Bligh, M. C., & Kohles, J. C. (2008). Negotiating Gender Role Expectations: Rhetorical Leadership and Women in the U.S. Senate. Leadership, 4(4), 381-402.