My research interests use a gendered perspective to examine why countries experience conflict. I have a paper on gender equality and directed dyads. In this paper, I find that pairs of states with higher levels of gender equality are more likely to experience peace than pairs of states with unequal levels of gender equality or low levels of gender equality. This research has real world implications for the types of development we encourage and the role that respect for women may play in the international arena. I also have a collaborative paper that looks at women chief executives and human rights. We find that women chief executives do practice better human rights, but that they may not lead to a longer lasting effect. Further, I have a co-authored piece that examines ethnic political parties and civil unrest. In this paper, my coauthor and I find that countries that have ethnically based political parties experience more civil unrest (from protest to civil war) than those with party bans. This appears to lend evidence to the opportunity side of the willingness/opportunity literature debate.
My dissertation is about whether women foreign policy leaders are really more peaceful than men. I argue that, first, we may expect women leaders to be more peaceful than men because they come from different experiences. However, this does not take into account the stereotype bias that, specifically, female chief executives must overcome in order to appear as a legitimate leader. In my first empirical chapter, I find that female chief executives are more likely than men to initiate and escalate conflict (measured with MIDs) for the years 1980 to 2000. Female defense and foreign policy ministers do not appear to play a role, perhaps as expected, but also potentially saying that foreign policy ministers may not have to advocate conflict to "prove" themselves capable of handling national defense. Moreover, I find no effects on the relationship between women foreign policy leaders and peace duration or defense spending. I will further be testing the roles of women in state conflict behavior with looking at conflict duration..
My future research will use my originally collected data on women foreign policy leaders and examine their role in various IR topics, such as human rights practices of states, sanctions, alliances, and trade. It is my goal to combat the "gender neutrality" of IR theory and demonstrate the importance that gender plays in the interactions that take place at both the state and international levels.
I have an article under review. I have also presented at numerous conferences including the Junior Scholar Symposium at International Studies Association, Journeys in World Politics, and Midwest Political Science Association.
My dissertation is about whether women foreign policy leaders are really more peaceful than men. I argue that, first, we may expect women leaders to be more peaceful than men because they come from different experiences. However, this does not take into account the stereotype bias that, specifically, female chief executives must overcome in order to appear as a legitimate leader. In my first empirical chapter, I find that female chief executives are more likely than men to initiate and escalate conflict (measured with MIDs) for the years 1980 to 2000. Female defense and foreign policy ministers do not appear to play a role, perhaps as expected, but also potentially saying that foreign policy ministers may not have to advocate conflict to "prove" themselves capable of handling national defense. Moreover, I find no effects on the relationship between women foreign policy leaders and peace duration or defense spending. I will further be testing the roles of women in state conflict behavior with looking at conflict duration..
My future research will use my originally collected data on women foreign policy leaders and examine their role in various IR topics, such as human rights practices of states, sanctions, alliances, and trade. It is my goal to combat the "gender neutrality" of IR theory and demonstrate the importance that gender plays in the interactions that take place at both the state and international levels.
I have an article under review. I have also presented at numerous conferences including the Junior Scholar Symposium at International Studies Association, Journeys in World Politics, and Midwest Political Science Association.
