Global Women Leaders: Studies in Feminist Political Rhetoric

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Global Women Leaders: Studies in Feminist Political Rhetoric demonstrates the ways in which women have used political rhetoric and political discourse to provide leadership, or assert their right to leadership, on a global level. This collection fits into the robust research area of international political women and their use of language in gaining and maintaining political power. It casts a wider net in terms of discussing womens efforts to assert and preserve their roles of authority, particularly when their audiences may perceive their authority as illegitimate due to gender. Chapters dedicated to Elizabeth II and Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser discuss the more traditional ways in which women leaders use language to construct political power. Other chapters focus on women who serve as political activists, either individually or as part of a group, including Aasma Mahfouz of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and the women who help direct United Nations policy through their speeches in the General Assembly. Global Women Leaders will appeal to scholars of political communication and international rhetoric.

Reviews

Global Women Leaders is an important first step in developing our understanding of how female leaders use language and rhetoric to enhance their political authority and influence within different cultural, religious, and historical contexts. The authors of this collection address an important gap in the literature by bringing together feminist scholarship with leadership studies and rhetorical discourse analysis to examine a range of women leaders from the United Kingdom to Kenya to those operating at regional and global levels. This convergence of approaches is increasingly critical as more and more women rise to leadership positions and strategically use language to empower themselves and the communities that they seek to represent. This volume should encourage more research on the agency of these powerful women and the political decisions that they make about using language as a leadership tool. -- Natalie Hudson, University of Dayton
With its eclectic, global perspective, this collection of essays makes important contributions to our understanding of the intersections of gender, political rhetoric, and culture. Each chapter offers a compelling portrait of the rhetorical strategies and leadership styles employed by a diverse group of international women politicians and activists. It will appeal to students and scholars interested in understanding the public performances of women leaders from around the world. -- Diane M. Blair, California State University, Fresno

Author Bio

Michele Lockhart is senior lecturer of business communication at the University of Texas at Dallas. Kathleen Mollick is associate professor of English and director of the writing program at Tarleton State University.