Jessica Smith, Ph.D.

j.c.smith@soton.ac.uk


Lecturer

University of Southampton

Year of PhD: 2019

Country: United Kingdom (England)

Social Media:

X: Jess_Smith1534

About Me:

I am a lecturer at the University of Southampton. My research centres on gender, electoral politics, and political leadership with a focus on British politics. I have also worked with colleagues at the University of Manchester on the British Election Study and on research on electoral registration. In 2018, I was a Research Assistant on Fawcett Society’s Strategies for Success report on women’s experiences of selection and election in the UK Parliament. Previously, I worked in political communications at Portland Communications. I completed my PhD in Politics at Birkbeck College and my BSc in Politics at the University of Bristol.

Research Interests

Gender and Politics

Political Psychology

Political Leadership

Gender And Politics

Gender Stereotypes

Political Psychology

News Media

Countries of Interest

United Kingdom

Publications:

Journal Articles:

(2018) Politics and Parenthood: An Examination of UK Party Leadership Elections, Parliamentary Affairs

As women increasingly campaign for the highest political offices, this original content analysis study examines the extent to which gender and parenthood play a role in political leadership using British political party leadership elections as a case study. Competing hypotheses from the limited literature on politics and parenthood are examined. The article finds that family mentions have varied over time and contrary to some gender literature men’s family was at times of greater interest than women’s. Evidence is found for the politicisation of motherhood and a possible ‘maternal mandate’. In parallel, fatherhood was of increasing interest and the rise of the modern man can be seen. Yet, male candidates appear to have an ‘opt-out clause’ in any politicisation of fatherhood. Further questions about politics and parenthood begged by this article open future research avenues.