Abstract
Since the 1970s at least 25 women have publicly accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct including rape, groping, harassment, peeping, etc. Still, Trump consistently and openly belittles women and makes lewd comments. Despite his egregious and predatory behavior, Trump has been elected as President of the United States, not once, but twice. Exit polling from the 2024 U.S. Presidential election shows that many women voted for Trump, white women in particular (53% of white women voters supported Trump). Both sexism and racism have deep tentacles and the ability to reach into all aspects of modern-day life. Thus, a primary and imperative place to address these ‘isms’ is at the personal level. Being reflective about how these ‘isms’ have influenced a person can cause discomfort; however, we must be able to welcome and wrestle with the discomfort to productively move forward. Reflecting on sexism and racism at a personal level is often a quintessential first step toward addressing them. These steps forward often take consistent personal work and reflection. In an effort to better understand how white women think and why they voted the way they did in the 2024 presidential election, this study uses master’s-level class assignments, including gender and racial autobiographies, “I Am” poems, and leadership philosophies to respond to the question: How do women enrolled in a master’s-level educational leadership program understand their own thinking about gender and racial inequity?
Presenters
Leslie LockeAssociate Professor, Educational Leadership, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Vectors of Society and Culture
KEYWORDS
White Women, Sexism, Racism, Voting
