Mothers and Others

The Role of Parenthood in Politics

Edited by Melanee Thomas & Amanda Bittner
Categories: Political Science, Social Sciences, Sociology, Family Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Women’s Studies
Publisher: UBC Press
Hardcover : 9780774834582, 372 pages, September 2017
Paperback : 9780774834599, 372 pages, April 2018
Ebook (PDF) : 9780774834605, 372 pages, July 2017
Ebook (EPUB) : 9780774834612, 372 pages, September 2017
Ebook (MobiPocket) : 9780774834629, 372 pages, June 2017
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Table of contents

Introduction

1 The “Mommy Problem”? Gender, Parental Status, and Politics / Melanee Thomas and Amanda Bittner

Part 1: Parental Status and Political Careers

2 The (M)otherhood Trap: Reconsidering Sex, Gender, and Legislative Recruitment / Rosie Campbell and Sarah Childs

3 Lactating Mothers in Parliament: Beyond Accommodation / Barbara Arneil

4 Motherhood and Politics in Latin America: Continuity and Change / Susan Franceschet, Jennifer M. Piscopo, and Gwynn Thomas

5 “Society Is Balanced, So Local Boards Should Be Balanced Too”: Gatekeeper Attitudes toward the Gender Balance Law in Iowa / Rebecca J. Hannagan and Christopher W. Larimer

6 Conservative Mothers in Politics: Pushing and Reinforcing Ideological Boundaries / Ronnee Schreiber

Part 2: Communications and Campaign Strategy

7 Private Mom versus Political Dad? Communications of Parental Status in the 41st Canadian Parliament / Melanee Thomas and Lisa Lambert

8 Mothers and the Media on the Campaign Trail / Melissa K. Miller

9 Identity and Activism in an Era of Politicized Motherhood / Carrie A. Langner, Jill S. Greenlee, and Grace Deason

Part 3: Parenthood and Opinion, Participation and Behaviour

10 The Parent Gap in Political Attitudes: Mothers versus Others / Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant and Amanda Bittner

11 Context, Motherhood, and the Gender Gap in Political Knowledge / Janine Giles

12 Attitudes toward Work, Motherhood, and Parental Leave in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom / Allison Harell, Stuart Soroka, Shanto Iyengar, and Valérie Lapointe

13 Motherhood’s Role in Shaping Political and Civic Participation / Brenda O’Neill and Elisabeth Gidengil

14 Toying Around with the Future: Sustainability within Families / Michele Micheletti and Dietlind Stolle

15 Gender, Parenthood, and Politics: What Do We Still Need to Know? / Amanda Bittner and Melanee Thomas

Conclusion

Index

Description

The first major comparative analysis of parenthood in politics, Mothers and Others brings together leading scholars of gender and politics to discuss the role of parental status in political life. Examining three main areas of citizen engagement within the political system – parenthood and political careers, parenthood and the media, and parenthood and political behaviour – they argue that being a parent is a gendered identity that influences how, why, and to what extent women (and men) engage with politics. This raises important questions about how career politicians, voters, and the media navigate the intersection of gender, parental status, and politics.

Reviews

Melanee Thomas and Amanda Bittner have assembled a fascinating and important exploration of the role, understanding, and perceptions of mothers and motherhood within the realm of politics.

- Lilly Goren, Political Science, Carroll University