Media-based mechanisms of gendered evaluations of politicians (Dissertation Summary)

This dissertation addresses the enduring underrepresentation of women in political decision-making and its multi-faceted causes. It focuses on the media’s pivotal role in perpetuating and shaping gender inequalities within politics. The dissertation’s objective is to illuminate the influence of media coverage on voters’ perceptions of male and female politicians. Revisiting interdisciplinary literature, it first proposes a theoretical causal framework of media-based gendered candidate evaluations. Through a series of four empirical articles and eight data collections, employing diverse methods like meta-analysis, mixed methods think aloud paradigms, and survey experiments, the research challenges conventional wisdom of ubiquitous gender biases. Contrary to expectations, media coverage generally does not systematically distort gender-based voter evaluations. Rather, it tends to create gender similarities, influencing both male and female politicians similarly. Notably, when distinctions emerge, they often favor women. The findings suggest that women in politics can gain by emphasizing expertise over conforming to gender norms. However, the study cautions that subtle biases may persist within intricate political and media systems. In summary, this dissertation uncovers the nuanced dynamics of media, gender, and voter responses, advancing our comprehension of gender biases in political communication and offering insights for promoting more equitable political representation.