Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Arkansas
About
Dr. Pearl K. Dowe is an associate professor of political science and department chair. She has published numerous articles and book chapters that have appeared in journals such as the Journal of African American Studies, Political Psychology, Journal of Black Studies, and Social Science Quarterly. She is currently researching political attitudes, behaviors, and campaign challenges of African American women. Her most recent book, co-authored with her mentor, the late Hanes Walton, Jr. and Josephine Allen, Remaking The Democratic Party: Lyndon B. Johnson as a Native-Son Presidential Candidate, was published in 2017 by the University of Michigan Press. Dr. Dowe currently serves the discipline as a member of the Southern Political Science Association Executive Council and the Executive Committee of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. She earned a BA in political science from Savannah State University and her PhD in political science from Howard University.
Current Work:
"Sister Strength: The Political Behavior of African American Women" is a single authored manuscript that aims to examine the racialized and gendered aspect of African American political behavior and attitudes. The political leanings and attitudes of African American women are critical to the overall understanding of African American attitudes, public opinion, and political engagement. The unique level of consistent participation by African American women has been ignored and often not incorporated into the discussion of the gender gap in elections which has primarily focused on the behavior of white women (Carroll, 1999; Simien, 2006; Smooth, 2006). Historically, African American women have viewed political participation as a means to achieve full equality and improve the status of the group (Shingles, 1981; Giddings, 1985; Tate, 1991; Collins, 1998; Collins, 1999; Barker, Jones, and Tate, 1999; Simien, 2006). This perspective is relevant to the discussion of policy preferences, potential coalition development, and the advancement of African Americans as a group.
The far-reaching role of African American women as political participants, laborers, and activists, compels the author to develop a greater understanding of these women during this critical economic and demographic shift in America. African American women also play a compelling role in political socialization within their communities and contribute to their economic stability (King, 1988; Giddings, 1994; Gay, 2001; Guerra, 2013). The complexity of Black female life contributes to nuanced policy preferences and motivations that can't be ignored. This manuscript will examine: 1) the varied attitudes of Black women on issues that are current and sometimes polarizing such as immigration and health care; 2) the challenge of maintaining a coalition with white females and if there is potential for a longstanding coalition with Latinas; 3) what are the substantive expectations Black women hold of Black female elected officials?, and 4) how does a partisan and racialized political climate affect Black female politicians from meeting those expectations? The exploration of these themes will allow for this manuscript to also provide analysis of the challenges Black women face in implementing a political agenda and developing strategy to address their policy preferences and concerns. Dr. Dowe will use both quantitative and qualitative methods to address these questions.
Research Area Keyword(s):
African American politics, African American women, political behavior
