Women and Men in Political and Business Elites
A Comparative Study in the Industrialized World
- Mino Vianello - University of Rome, Italy
- Gwen Moore - University at Albany, Albany
of the European Commission··
How do gender inequalities translate at the top of politics and business?
Is the gender gap eliminated for the most influential players in industrial democratic society?
This informed and compelling analysis examines the demographic characteristics, family circumstances and career paths of a group of elite women. The book is noteworthy for being one of the first empirically based studies of women elites.
Drawing on a sample from no less than 27 countries, a convincing and highly original picture is constructed that informs readers of career paths, values, social networks and gender battles for women elites.
Co-ordinated by Mino Vianello and Gwen Moore, the research fills in a huge gap about how power actually operates in industrial-democratic societies. It enables us to test the view that substantial equality between the sexes has been achieved in the twenty first century.
It constitutes a landmark work, both in the study of gender difference and the analysis of power. The findings will be of interest to academics and advanced students in a wide range of disciplines including stratification, globalization, political science, international relations, gender, sociology, organizational studies and much more.
"This relatively small book provides answers to such frequently asked questions as why it matters whether women do or do not gain access to top positions in public life. The book represents the outcome of research carried by a team of 11 researchers. . . . The eight chapters dealing with the specific topics are written by different authors. As they hoped, this volume gives answers to often-asked questions about women and power that have not previously been widely researched."
