Dr. Melissa K. Miller
Wednesday, April 24th, 2019 | 12-1:30 p.m. | BTSU 207
Dr. Melissa K. Miller is an associate professor in the school of Political Science at Bowling Green State University. Dr. Miller studies voters' employment of gender stereotypes in elections and how these stereotypes may undermine women candidates at the polls. Miller argues that mothers who choose to run for office are particularly disadvantaged due to culturally-ingrained voter stereotypes surrounding maternity. “Mothers on the Run” addresses both voter perception of mother-candidates and how the mother-candidates present their maternal status in a political campaign. Dr. Miller is a leading expert in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and has been published in numerous academic journals.
Contact Information
Melissa K. Miller
Associate Professor
melissm@bgsu.edu
122 Williams Hall
Mother Candidates in the Media
Political Advertisements featuring mother-candidates and their families
For Further Information
Books
Podcasts
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Halla Tómasdóttir: How Can Leaders Inspire Others To Lead?A podcast (with transcript) on the Vigdis Finnbogadottir’s campaign that led to her becoming Iceland’s first female president (2018).
Journalism
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Here Are Some of the Women Who Made History in the Midterm ElectionsArticle about the historic victories of women in the 2018 Midterm Elections by Samantha Cooney for Time - November 19, 2019
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Moms Running for Office Are Finally Advertising Their MotherhoodThis article explores the willingness of mother-candidates to advertise their motherhood in the post-2016 election political climate by Annika Neklason for The Atlantic - July 23, 2018
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‘And I’m a Mom.’ Candidates and Voters Warm to Kids on the TrailRecent polls state that voters find mother-candidates more relatable than they have in the past. This article discusses the change in voter attitude toward mother-candidates. by Kate Zernike for The New York Times - Sept. 12, 2018
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Mom Is Running for OfficeThis article explains the reasons why mothers are running for political positions in the 2018 midterm elections. by Susan Chira for The New York Times - April 14, 2018
Academic Articles
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Voting For Mom: The Political Consequences of Being a Parent for Male and Female Candidates
By Stalsburg, B. L. September 1, 2010, in Politics & Gender, 6(03), 373-404
This paper describes the lack of research on consequences based on the gender of political candidates and also seeks to describe how different genders must address their personal lives in different ways (2010).
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MODERN FAMILY: How Women Candidates Can Talk About Politics, Parenting, and Their Personal Lives
by the Barbara Lee Family Foundation
This research memo explains the unique methods female candidates use to address their personal lives on the campaign trail (2017).
Websites
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https://www.barbaraleefoundation.org/The Barbara Lee Family Foundation is dedicated to creating equal opportunities for female politicians in the United States. They publish research regarding women’s representation in politics.
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https://www.emilyslist.org/Emily’s List recruits female pro-choice Democratic to run for office in the United States government. Their goal is to support candidates that will make change in office and better represent the composition of the American people in government. They also support initiatives to get women to vote.
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https://www.lwv.org/The League of Women Voters focuses on fighting voter suppression and jerrymandering in the United States. They work for the voting rights of minority groups in the United States and strongly encourage active participation in democracy.