For these of us who suppose {that a} lady president is lengthy overdue, the previous few years have been extraordinarily disappointing. From Hillary Clinton’s sudden loss to Donald Trump within the 2016 presidential election to the Democratic Get together’s failure to pick out a feminine candidate this 12 months regardless of an abundance of certified ladies, it has been one setback after one other. Though there may be ample proof that ladies can win elections within the lowest races, a small majority of American males, and simply over 40 % of American ladies, are nonetheless not “very comfortableWith the concept of a girl president.
Can a female vice president help change this alarming situation? While there is reason to believe that Joe Biden’s expected choice as a female helper is a step in the right direction, it is ultimately a small step. And by no means challenging the prevailing prejudices against powerful women, a female vice president will strengthen them in some way.
We misunderstand the nature of patriarchy if we think that simply having power and influence is verboten for women. women are it is allowed to have power, provided that this power is deployed in such a way as not to threaten the patriarchal order – for example, in the service of a male president.
Even Mr. Trump, the notorious misogynist, feels comfortable when women hold considerable power and authority, when they act as his subordinates and serve him respectfully – think of Calinn Conway, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Betsy DeVos. But Mr. Trump can be vicious, even by his widely accepted grim standards, when a woman crosses over, hinders, or challenges him – as with women reporters such as Weijia Jiang, Abby Phillip and Megyn Kelly, the latter of whom he said infamously, bleeding from her eyes and her “anywhere” after she harshly questioned him about his history of misogyny. Nevertheless, even Mr. Trump will give the woman power, as long as she does not threaten him and remains obedient and loyal.
Being obedient and loyal to the president is the very essence of the vice presidency. We saw this when Mr. Biden himself apologized to President Barack Obama for speaking out in favor of same-sex marriage before Mr. Obama announced his policy change; there is a tacit understanding that the vice president must consistently support and respect the president. Thus, a female vice president does not in itself pose a real threat to patriarchy.
Research also shows that common prejudice against a woman in power disappears when she is perceived to be purely communal, that is, exclusively oriented towards helping and serving others. IN a milestone in 2004 exploring such biasesThe researchers asked participants to rate two personnel files for assistant vice president of sales for an aviation company. Each file was tagged as “James” or “Andrea,” and the two identical files were interleaved, meaning that, on average, participants received the same information about two employees.
The study found that Andrea was rated less competent than James by approximately 86 percent of the participants, unless there was explicit evidence that they both excelled in their roles. In this case, Andrea was rated as less pleasant than James by 83 percent of people. Notably, these gender biases were demonstrated in young people (they were students) and were equally prevalent in both men and women.
Given the reality of such biases, how can a woman in a leadership position succeed?
further training provides the reply. When data was included, it portrayed Andrea as very competent and communal – kind, caring, attentive to their employees, etc. – these prejudices disappeared (and in some cases even turned). Suddenly she was recognized even More nicer than James and just like the boss. For James, on the other hand, the inclusion of such information made no difference. Likewise, when Andrea was described as a mother, the participants’ attitude towards her softened; for James, the picture of his father was neither here nor there. Lesson? The combination of being a woman and being powerful can be acceptable, but in order to do that, she must be perceived as a communal, a team player and focus on supporting other people. And this is very similar to the job description of a vice president.
Overall, Mr Biden’s commitment to nominating a female vice president is hardly revolutionary. He will be obliged to assign to her not only a symbolic role in his administration – a strong position in the spirit of the position that Biden himself held under President Obama. (Image of “Vipsa” Selina Meyer, who does photo shoots for the president, though totally ignored by him, serves as a comedic warning here.)
That being said, a female vice president under Mr Biden may well end up playing a huge role in the future of the Democratic Party – thanks not only to its own achievements, but also to the fact that, given his age, Mr Biden is likely to be president for one term. She could eventually become the next Democratic nominee and default party leader; she might even unexpectedly assume the role of president. But these contingencies do not address the fact that the vice presidency itself is not a threatening role for a woman.
There is also no doubt that a female vice president could be of great benefit in this position if she and Mr Biden were elected in November. The field of potential contenders – including Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Stacy Abrams, Karen Bass, Susan Rice, Val Demings, and Tammy Duckworth – is rich in skill and talent. There are even reasons to celebrate the sheer fact of female representation, as it can provide inspiration and comfort to those who might otherwise reasonably feel that American politics inevitably remains a boys’ club in the upper echelons.
But we must not overestimate the extent to which a female vice president will break down existing barriers and challenge harmful stereotypes. We still don’t like it when women take the tallest power or supreme power – as opposed to the service and pleasure of people like Mr. Biden. And we still hold women to higher, and sometimes completely unrealistic, standards of “grace” and community, which is a recipe for misogyny whenever they make the slightest misstep. Until we accept the fact that women, like men, have the right to rule, our political work will be cut out from us.