The 20th annual Symposium will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

Culture, Government, and Politics: Analyzing Women’s Movements in the United States and the Republic of India
Norris 104, 10:00 AM

Rachel  Roof,   '09 64
   Major: Political Science
   Hometown: Sebewaing, MI

Sponsor(s): Andrew Grossman
Support:  

Abstract: 
Women’s movements are a common feature of politics, and a useful mechanism for the study of social movements and political development more generally. While such collective action is a regular occurrence, it varies widely in focus, tactics, organizational forms, and success rates. This puzzle is a fascinating one; all things considered, can there be a suitable model to explain such a variety of collective action? Centering around two case studies, instances of women’s movements in the United States and the Republic of India, this study outlines the importance of culture and country-specific political development in the focus, origination, and continuation of the movements analyzed, while highlighting the significance of resources, organizations, and group perceptions in both states. While the study’s conclusions are only tentative because of the small number of cases considered, it serves to illuminate factors which should be taken into consideration when studying social movements. Taking into account the frequency of women’s movements and the importance of social movements to a country’s internal political development, understanding women’s movements as a political force could greatly aid in future inquiry. The study doesn’t offer definitive conclusions, but indicates areas in need of further exploration. The strong presence of women’s movements throughout political development on a local, regional, and international scale emphasizes their importance in the analysis of political development, and this study offers recommendations for future research efforts.

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