Aidan Smith
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About Aidan
Smith’s research focuses on gender and politics, ranging from the executive branch to grassroots activist work. As an interdisciplinary feminist scholar, her work explores perceptions of appropriate masculine and feminine leadership in American contexts. Overarching themes in Smith’s writings include the deployment of motherhood, fatherhood, and heterosexuality for political gain. She conducts both quantitative and qualitative analysis of cultural materials to consider larger arguments within popular discourse, from campaign commercials to social media engagements. She is involved in several organizations in the New Orleans community.
In the News
Publications
Examines gender representation in U.S. politics, highlighting that while women’s presence in elected offices is at a historic high, they remain under-represented compared to men. Findings show that the minority of U.S. adults believe that men are better political leaders than women, though this view is more common among conservatives and men. Underscores the need to address persistent gender biases and beliefs to achieve gender parity in political representation and ensure that women's issues are adequately addressed in policy-making.
Reveals how each presidential candidate used his or her campaign to position themselves as a defender of traditional gender roles, and how this investment in "appropriate" gender behavior was made manifest in both international and domestic policy choices.