Politics vs Political Science
Photo via Marist College
Confidence. Assertiveness. Ambition. Dr. Jessica Boscarino, chair of the political science department at Marist College, believes such skills are imperative to success in politics.
“In terms of politicians, it is clear that sometimes the qualities that get rewarded have not always been fostered in women,” Boscarino said. “That has held women back.”
As more women choose to study political science, the expectation of politicians to have such character traits further calls into question how societal gender norms have impacted women’s decision to run for office.
While there has been progress in more equal representation in politics, the growing number of female political science majors has yet to be reflected in elected officials. As of 2023, women are acting as heads of state in only 31 countries, UNWomen reported. Pew Research Center also found that only 29% of the recently elected Congress members are women.
“There are plenty of females in my classes, but sometimes they are less likely to speak up in those classes,” Boscarino said. “It’s that confidence in waiting to share the exact right thing.”
Representation is essential to helping women discover where they fit into the field. Boscarino found that her experience has been different from the norm. Marist has a nearly all female political science department. When she was studying at Middlebury College for undergrad, and at Syracuse University for her PHD, she found that the faculty were evenly divided between male and female professors.
Similarly, Dr. Melissa Gaeke, a political science professor and the director of Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership at Marist, found that across the nonprofits she worked for and during her time studying for her PHD at the University of Southern California, there was an even gender balance.
Gaeke wonders if so many women are choosing the academic side of political science because they do not see a way to begin the path into politics. “Is there something about the system that candidates get nominated and women are not being tapped? How are those opportunities found? Do you need to actually know someone?”, she asked.
Organizations like Emily’s List focus solely on helping women find the resources needed to run for office. Gaeke believes that organizations like Emily’s List and finding a mentor in the political science field is essential for women to figure out what is possible. Boscarino agrees that internships, volunteering and even presenting research is essential to fostering the confidence needed to run for office.
After interning in the political science field, Megan Griffin ‘23 wants to work on the nonprofit side of politics. “It is encouraging to have so many female political science professors,” she said. “It makes me feel like it will be easier to break into politics because there are so many women who have been role models for me during my Marist career who are setting a strong example as women in politics.”
Boscarino has hope for the future of politics. The younger generation has become mobilized by the defining political events of the past decade like the MeToo Movement, the repeal of Roe v. Wade and even certain comments made by former President Donald Trump.
When Roe v. Wade was repealed, women could no longer sit back to watch and wait. It became apparent how many rights they took for granted.
“It’s the classic ‘this will never happen to me’ moment,” Boscarino said. “People have been feminist forever, but this burst onto the public scene and they were doing it publicly.”
Similarly, when certain comments Trump made were disrespectful towards women, many were taken aback. Making such comments did not take him out of the running for president and did not even result in a loss. It became a defining moment in understanding what is accepted by society.
It is encouraging that the next generation is growing up seeing a more diverse set of world leaders. “I long for the day when we don't immediately assume the pronoun he when we think of the president,” Boscarino said.