Date of Award
Spring 6-4-2016
Document Type
Honors Project
University Scholars Director
Dr. Jeff Keuss
First Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Michael Hamilton
Second Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Caleb Henry
Keywords
American History, Feminism, Presidential History, Gender Studies, Women's Studies, Women's History
Abstract
While there has never been a female president or vice president of the United States, a comparison of First Ladies offers a good case study on how far women have progressed in American politics. Through a comparison of Edith Wilson and Hillary Rodham Clinton, this study seeks to compare the gender-based obstacles for a First Lady at the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of the twentieth century. The analysis of this study shows that despite the progression of feminism over the past one hundred years, it remains just as difficult to be a woman in politics due to decreased privacy, increased media attention, and the continued expectation to fulfill feminine gender roles. As the 2016 general election approaches with a female presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, this study provides insight into the rationale and negative implications for continued low female representation in American politics.
Recommended Citation
Monson, Hannah C., "Women in the White House: How Gender-Based Obstacles Affected Edith Wilson and Hillary Rodham Clinton While First Ladies" (2016). Honors Projects. 42.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/honorsprojects/42
Copyright Status
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Additional Rights Information
Copyright held by author.
Comments
A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University Scholars Program