Lexington Books Gender, Race, and Social Identity in American Politics: The Past and Future of Political Access (Media, Culture, and the Arts)

Gender, Race, and Social Identity in American Politics: The Past and Future of Political Access explores the ways in which cultural expression is represented in American politics as it intersects with issues of gender, race, and the construction of social identity. Specifically, this body of work examines how representations in the media and larger culture can establish and diminish the status of diverse communities of American politicians. Contributors analyze the rhetorical and performative changes that have occurred in America as it has shifted politically from growing acceptance and tolerance to an obscure-and often hostile-conservative ideology. This book contributes to the growing dialogue surrounding American politics by citing specific cases of gender and race-based infringements of the current political system, as purported by media and party players. This book will be especially useful to scholars of political science, media studies, gender studies, and critical race studies. Review The 15 essays in Gender, Race, and Social Identity in American Politics focus mainly on recent presidential nominations and campaigns. Editor Montalbano (Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ. Columbus) and the contributors demonstrate how analyses of rhetoric used in announcements, speeches, and rallies have been used to impact political identities and to strengthen support. The role of gender-related body image is also explored. Montalbano suggests that the papers can be clustered into three groups. The first five examine the "intersectionality" of gender, sexuality, and misogyny, and also introduce a useful historical dimension through a comparative analysis of speeches by former presidential candidates Margaret Chase Smith (1964), Shirley Chisholm (1972), and Hillary Clinton (2006 and 2016). The next five papers explore the relationships among race, ethnicity, and religion in US politics. Given the growing importance of the Latinx vote, the aptly titled essay "I Am Your Tomorrow" is especially important. The final five chapters include a mixture of topics and individuals (e.g., Clinton, Donald Trump, Roy Moore of Alabama, Sarah Palin). . . Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.--CHOICE This is quite frankly one of the finest collection I have ever read. It is particularly timely in the "Trump Era" and will enable supporters of the "Pantsuit Nation" to have a voice during these troubling times. I highly recommend it for courses in women and gender studies, sociology, and political science. It is quite simply outstanding and it has my highest endorsement!--Charles Gallmeier, Indiana University Northwest Gender, Race, and Social Identity in American Politics: The Past and Future of Political Access, edited by Lori L. Montalbano, is both a timely and necessary intervention into our current political times . . . times where racist, sexist, and xenophobic rhetoric is used to solidify political support. If the current backlash against women, migrants, people of color, and the LGBTQ community can teach us anything, it is that the long arc of justice is not always progressing forward, requiring us to look to both the past and the present to understand the potential ways forward. In this book, Montalbano collects the work of a mixture of new and old voices as they explore the ways in which women, people of color, and other political minorities have fought for a place at the political table and the ways in which rhetorics of fear and hate have been used to undermine their efforts to do so.--Andrae Mark, Governors State University About the Author Lori L. Montalbano is assistant vice chancellor of academic and student affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus.