Female Leadership and Effects from African Droughts (Fem-LEAD)
Short description
This project is funded by a so-called ERC Starting Grant. Under the leadership of Aksel Sundström, a research team will investigate how extreme weather events, such as droughts and other natural disasters, affect gender equality in African politics. The project also aims to explore how various environmental and societal crises influence people's political attitudes and behaviors in a broader context.
Although the field of research has expanded in recent years, there is still a lack of knowledge about why women succeed in attaining political power in some countries and parties, but not in others. Africa is a region where women’s political representation has been relatively understudied.
This project is the first to examine how changing living conditions due to extreme weather are connected to people’s attitudes toward women in positions of power. In addition, the project will broaden its perspective to analyze how various types of environmental and societal crises affect political attitudes and behaviors in a broader context. By combining studies of public opinion and political representation, Aksel Sundström hopes to develop a new theoretical framework.
Researchers
Zakarias Dahlberg, associate researcher, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.
Stephen Dawson, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.
Emily Elia, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.
Erik Elwing, survey manager, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.
Aksel Sundström, associate professor and principal investigator, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.
Lauren Yehle, doctoral student, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg.
