Women, Language and Politics

This book addresses the problem of the underrepresentation of women in politics, by examining how language use constructs and maintains inequality in political institutions. Drawing on different political genres from televised debates to parliamentary question times, and fifty interviews with politicians between 1998 and 2018, the book identifies the barriers and obstacles women face by considering how gender stereotypes constrain women's participation, and give them additional burdens. By comparing the UK House of Commons with newer institutions such as the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, it asks: how successful have newer institutions been in encouraging equal participation? What are the interactional procedures that can be thought of as making an institution more egalitarian? It also explores the workings and effects of sexism, fraternal networks, high visibility in the media, and gendered discourses, through detailed case studies of Theresa May, Julia Gillard and Hillary Clinton.

1. Introduction; 2. Gender and language in political institutions; 3. Women's linguistic participation in a traditional male-dominated forum: the UK House of Commons; 4. Women's linguistic participation in the new devolved assemblies of the UK; 5. Barriers to women's participation in politics; 6 Case studies I: leading political women: Theresa May; 7. Case studies II: leading political women: Julia Gillard and Hilary Clinton; 8. Women, language and politics: gains and losses.

Sylvia Shaw is a Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Westminster. She is a sociolinguist who has conducted research projects in the House of Commons and the devolved political institutions of the UK. Her publications focus on gender, language and power in different types of political discourse.