Research Projects
The Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy’s research agenda addresses two broad areas of inquiry – the political representation of women and public policy issues that hold particular relevance in the lives of women and girls. Center researchers often work in collaboration with key stakeholders and constituencies to develop projects that will generate knowledge for immediate application to pending public policy debates and to initiatives aimed at advancing women’s political leadership.
Gender, Race, and Political Representation
The Center is in its second decade of tracking and analyzing the political representation of women with a particular focus on race and ethnicity. Through several pioneering studies, Center researchers have identified leadership trends in elected and appointed positions in government and other sectors. Documenting and assessing the status of political leadership for women and communities of color is at the core of the Center’s research activities and entails several specific projects.
Political Progress for New England Women
Building on the success of the Center’s 2003 New England Women’s Political Summit, “Tracking the Political Progress of New England Women” assesses women’s political representation at the local, state, and federal levels in each New England state and generates comparative analyses across states. The Center provides regularly updated information on the election of female municipal officials and is the only academic research center in the nation to do so. Ongoing.
The New England Women and Municipal Goverment Project
This study examines the experiences of women who have sought, won, and are serving in elected office at the highest level in cities and towns across New England. Based primarily on interviews with current female mayors, this project explores topics such as political motivation, campaign support, challenges, and resources, as well as the daily work associated with serving as the chief elected city/town official. Ongoing.
The Gender and Multicultural Leadership (GMCL) Project: "The Future of Governance"
Center Director Carol Hardy-Fanta serves as co-principal investigator of the GMCL Project, the first-in-the-nation study to focus on the interaction of gender and race/ethnicity for elected officials at all levels of government. The GMCL Survey, a comprehensive multiracial, multi-office national survey of elected officials, addresses the scope and experiences of Black, Latino, Asian, and American Indian elected officials from across the nation, officials' positions on key policy issues, paths taken to public office, and the significance of their political leadership. (www.gmcl.org) Ongoing.
Moms and Dads on the Hill: How Female and Male Elected Officials Balance Work and Family and Create Social Change
This project, directed by Visiting Scholar Cheryl Najarian, examines work/family issues and challenges through the lived experiences of Massachusetts legislators with an emphasis on the significance of gender. The study addresses the influence of familial life on legislators’ perceptions and management of family lives as well as the impact of family on legislators’ public policy priorities and positions. Ongoing.
A Study of Team Hillary-New England: Documenting an Historic Campaign
Visiting Scholar and Historian Kathleen Laughlin is coordinating a study of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign to document the perspectives and experiences of volunteers from New England, including local and state elected officials, committed to Clinton’s candidacy. The project seeks to analyze volunteer and activist experiences from the campaign trail in New England, understand the significance of attempting to elect a woman President of the United States for those interviewed, and explain the importance of the campaign in their own lives. Ongoing.
Massachusetts Government Appointments Project
As part of the Massachusetts Government Appointments Project (MASSGAP), the Center released a report in 2007 on women appointed to key state government posts in Massachusetts. The report "Women of Talent: A Benchmark Report on Gender and Government Appointments in Massachusetts 2002-2007” includes an analysis of women in senior-level state government positions at four points in time and the distribution of appointments by position type and executive office. Completed.
Benchmark Diversity Studies
In 2007, the Center issued two pioneering reports on racial and gender diversity in the public and private sectors. “A Seat at the Table? Racial. Ethnic and Gender Diversity on Corporate, Hospital, Education, Cultural and State Boards” examined the composition of boards of directors/trustees of the top corporations, hospitals, higher education institutions, and a sample of major cultural institutions in Massachusetts. “A Benchmark Report on Diversity in State and Local Government” assessed the diversity of elected and appointed officials in ten cities and towns in Greater Boston with the highest percentages of people of color. Completed.
Public Policy: Women and Girls
Criminal Justice System and Corrections
Over the past decade, the Center has focused on the needs and experiences of women in the criminal justice system in Massachusetts as one of its key areas of inquiry. Studies have addressed some of the most pressing issues facing the growing female offender population including challenges related to sustaining family ties during and after incarceration and the multi-faceted needs of substance-abusing offenders. Ongoing.
Parenting from Prison: Family Relationships of Incarcerated Women in Massachusetts Report
This report issued in June 2008 examines the complex issues facing incarcerated women in Massachusetts in regard to their family relationships - particularly relationships with their children. In addition to conducting interviews with incarcerated women and correctional personnel, researchers analyzed policies, programs, and resources that help promote connections between incarcerated women and family members and highlighted "innovative practices" implemented in Massachusetts and across the U.S. that address the unique needs of incarcerated women. This report followed the Center’s 2005 "Women in Prison in Massachusetts: Maintaining Family Connections" report recommendation for a comprehensive study of such needs of women in prison. Completed.
Alternatives to Incarceration for Substance-Abusing Female Defendants/Offenders in Massachusetts, 1996-1998
In 2000, the Center published a report on substance-abusing female offenders based on data from a sample of female defendants drawn from two district courts in Massachusetts. Authors offered recommendations for court personnel, treatment providers, and policymakers regarding the needs of women who are substance abusers and who have entered the Massachusetts criminal justice system. Completed.
Employment, Education, and Economic Status
The Center has contributed to public policy development and analysis in the broad area of women’s employment and economic status, with a particular focus on education and training opportunities for welfare recipients, retirement benefits for state employees, wage equity, family and medical leave, and homelessness. The Center’s most recent publication in this area “CALL TO ACTION: A Pay Equity Resource Guide” was developed for the Women, Work and Wages Policy Conference convened by the Center in June 2008. Ongoing.
Health and Reproductive Rights
Center researchers address the healthcare needs of women with specific attention to racial and ethnic disparities, the healthcare workforce, mental health and reproductive health issues. In 2006, the Center released a fact sheet on "Minority Women in the Healthcare Workforce in New England” and its 2005 fact sheet examined “HIV/AIDS among Women of Color in Massachusetts.” The Center has also produced policy briefs on women’s health, including “The Mental Health Needs of Women in Transition from Welfare to Work” and research reports such as the “Report on the Minors' Abortion Rights Project” issued in 2001. Ongoing.
The Massachusetts Midwifery Workforce Profile Project
This study aims to document and describe the role that midwives play in the Massachusetts healthcare system to meet the health needs of women and their families. A survey of midwives residing and/or working in Massachusetts will generate a profile detailing the demographic characteristics of midwives, their compensation and practice structures, scope of practice, training and education, and the communities and populations they serve. The research team is led by Christa Kelleher, Ph.D., Research Director of the Center for Women and Politics & Public Policy, McCormack Graduate School, UMass Boston, and includes Dorothy Brewin, Ph.D., CNM, Assistant Professor, UMass Lowell’s School of Health and Environment, and Françoise Carré, Ph.D., Research Director, McCormack Graduate School’s Center for Social Policy, UMass Boston. Ongoing.
Tracking the Political Progress of New England Women
The Center's new project Political Progress for New England Women provides statistics, analysis, and commentary on women's political representation at all levels of government in each New England state.
Publications
Many of the reports, resource guides, and fact sheets listed on this page may be found here.