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Family matters : how romantic partners shape politicians' careers /

Rickne, Johanna,

Family matters : how romantic partners shape politicians' careers / Johanna Rickne, Olle Folke, Moa Frödin Gruneau. - 1 online resource (59 pages) : digital, PDF file(s). - Cambridge elements. Elements in gender and politics, 2753-8117 . - Cambridge elements. Elements in gender and politics, .

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 11 Apr 2025).

Open Access.

This Element studies how career support from romantic partners affects career patterns and costs in politics. It argues that a lower level of career support from romantic partners leads to a lower likelihood for political promotion among women politicians (the partner support hypothesis), as well as greater stress on women politicians' relationships when they advance (the career stress hypothesis). Both predictions find support in Swedish data for more than 80,000 political careers over a fifty-year period. Women politicians are in relationships that prioritize their male partner's career and where that partner does less unpaid work in the household. This is important in explaining women's career disadvantage. It also explains why promotions double the divorce rate for women but leave men's relationships intact. The analysis sheds light on the role played by romantic partners in gender inequality in politics. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

9781009437837 (ebook)


Women politicians--Family relationships.
Women--Political activity.

HQ1236 / .R53 2025

305.42