Race, Gender, and Symbolic Representation: African American Female Candidates as Mobilizing Agents

The symbolic importance of women in the political system has been well documented in recent studies. However, these studies frequently overlook the intersectional effect of race and gender on women's political engagement. This article expands the existing research on symbolic representation, as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of elections, public opinion and parties public opinion and parties, 2010-11, Vol.20 (4), p.473-494
Main Authors: Stokes-Brown, Atiya Kai, Dolan, Kathleen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African-Americans
Candidates
Females
Political attitude change
Political behaviour
Political participation
Race
Representation
Sex
U.S.A
Women
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Summary:The symbolic importance of women in the political system has been well documented in recent studies. However, these studies frequently overlook the intersectional effect of race and gender on women's political engagement. This article expands the existing research on symbolic representation, assessing the extent to which race shapes female candidates' symbolic political influence. We analyze data from the 2000, 2002, and 2004 NES in order to assess whether the presence of African American female House candidates results in increased political participation among African American women. Our findings show that the presence of black female candidates increases African American women's likelihood of proselytizing and voting. This research bolsters arguments regarding the salience of identity and its broad and lasting consequences for engagement. It also challenges existing perceptions of how women candidates influence political attitudes and behaviors.
ISSN:1745-7289
1745-7297
DOI:10.1080/17457289.2010.511806