Women Power

Scandal: political influence and leadership of women. The impact of political television dramas on political debate.

With this image, I wanted to stand for the scandal of the natural presence of women in politics, between strategy and palaces of power, history, and television.

Recently, I focused my attention on how entertainment television shows women in politics, on how the media describe politics and the politicians, and how it affects our opinions and political trends at the time of the vote. I made a research of it and a degree thesis for the course in Political Science and International Relations (you can read my experience of go back to the books here / in Italian with translations)

With this research, I try to contribute to the debate on the capability of some TV-content to be able to build a new female political representation and to influence the citizens-spectators political commitment.

Of course, at this point, I don’t pay attention to legislative solutions to be implemented to make sure that the women, representing half of the population throughout the world, have a share of economic and political power equal to men; but I draw attention to how it is possible to encourage an increased political commitment by the same women and on how to engage the so-called civilized society, using an appropriate media representation.

Here is the abstract with the index: download Abstract
The degree thesis also speaks of PAC, party politics, electoral campaigns, 2020 United States Presidential Election, television debates from Dwight Eisenhower on, not political TV-series, The West Wing, Joe Morton, 6th January 2021, Ronald Reagan.
If you are interested in my thesis, contact me freely.

The leitmotif of my analysis is Scandal, the political television drama by Shonda Rhimes, that simultaneously desecrates and protects the United States of America political system, which upsets the idea of the traditional family, which tone down the idea of a white President from god to a simple human being, and who has a strong black female main character “imprisoned” in politics.

I could not do without to include a good deal of subjectiveness in dealing with the issues represented, both as a political and television user. From the “television” point of view, in fact, I am not enthusiastic about TV-series or soap-opera, but I am a spectator of some selected political tv-series, The West Wing e House of Cards are my favorite. Here, Scandal has impressed me because of the crazy essence of storytelling and philosophy, different from typical political fiction and with a strong element of identification.

From a political perspective, the interpretation and the focus were affected strongly by my being liberal, left-wing, and pro-choice (in a broad sense), and the fact that I consider gender equality not simply due to the inclusion of views or women’s problems on the political agenda, but related to the renewal of the entire policy-making process to give actual and equal access and influence at every stage of both political process and citizenship live to all citizens (regardless of gender and ethnicity).

Let’s get to the point: there is no single country in the world where women have a share of economic and political power equivalent to men. Women are continuously marginalized when it comes to the field of business, education, politics, and not just they are paid less than men at every level, but they are also under-represented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

The aim of breaking down the gender gap is still seen as a female problem and not as a collective need, both from men who often limit their intervention to provisions of greater sensitivity towards the “problem” (e.g. the gender ratio, percentage of female, in lists of candidates and parliaments) and by women who treat men as enemies to be struck down to have more space and not as allies to managing change.

Earlier studies had shown that this gender political gap is partly attributable precisely to women themselves who are less likely to a candidate unless are encouraged to do so (e.g. during the 1970 this happened with the women’s rights movement in the USA), who underestimate their own talents, abilities, and qualification to hold a political office, who fear the press and media impact both online and offline, and who are less likely to be chosen by political party.

I considered right, therefore, understand how and to what extent the TV characterize the women because television drama influence attitudes and opinions, suggest models to be inspired by, and may also affect beliefs about gender roles and influence women’s political ambition.

So, I studied and analyzed earlier research by some U.S. universities, the documentation produced by the television networks, besides historical and contemporary bibliographic study; I went into the topics covered also through podcasts produced by (and on) the mentioned television series, the newspapers, the Universities, the research centers, and the organizations working on equal rights.

When I revised everything, in the light of all the above, it clearly emerged that the stereotypes and the prejudices, both gender and racial, can be strengthened and disseminated through the media, especially if linked to television series, but emerged that also the opposite is true: through the TV-series, the examples of inclusion, of equality, of distortion of consolidated social roles, of social and moral innovation, can reach a wider audience and build consensus.

I believe, therefore, that the TV really can create a symbolic environment able to influence the citizens-spectators, and I think that the television production impact attitudes and beliefs, suggest role models, and can affect the beliefs about gender roles and have an impact on women’s political ambition and therefore on overcoming of gender and racial gap.

But why Scandal? For its overtly political subjects, engaging writing, and for the civic engagement of its the stars on and outside the television set.

This political television drama managed to make sure that the viewer even entered the world represented in it, and to develop parasocial relationships with the characters until reaching parasocial engagement with them, and especially with the main character Olivia Pope. Scandal was able to highlight the impact and the need for media representations of real women, independent women, and strong women in politics.

“I don’t understand why people don’t understand that the world of TV should look like the world outside of TV.”. With this quote by Shonda Rhimes could be summed up the reasons that have made it possible for her Scandal to generate political influence and to support new female leadership. Scandal, like the political television drama in general, contributes to the political debate simply because stands for the society we live in.

From a political perspective, therefore, the TV-series are dependable not just because are inspired by true events but also because reinterpret them and show aspects disregarded by other media, allowing the public to feel the protagonist in the halls of power.

I can say that the media representations can change thinking and people’s behaviors under certain conditions, inspiring their attitudes, beliefs, and actions, even though the audience of political television drama is often unconscious of the impact on themselves that may have such drama.

Furthermore, the media representations of political leadership, refer to as non-traditional, tell people in general, not only to women, that people of all gender and colors have the opportunity to take part in politics at the same level.

I am thanking Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, and all Scandal for the passion given in their work: without their creation, my degree thesis would not have been created. I also thank Bradley Whitford and all the timeless The West Wing.

Special thanks to the commitment of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris.

What’s the next?

Remember, English is not my first language :)