Female House Members on Social Media: How Gender and Party Influences Centrality in Online Social Networks

• In Event: 4251 - Macro-micro Intersections of Gender Inequality

Abstract

Women's underrepresentation in public office is a persistent issue in the United States. While research shows that engaging in social media allows female politicians to bypass traditional media and take control of their campaigns and image, other potential benefits of social media engagement have yet to be fully explored. This article analyzes the mentions made, outdegree centrality, and mentions received, indegree centrality, by members of the 114th (2015-2016) United States House of Representatives on Twitter to understand how gender influences centrality and if female House members experience network disadvantages online similar to those experienced by women in male-dominated workplaces. Using negative binomial regression, I find that gender has a marginally significant effect on mentions made and a statistically significant effect on mentions received by House members. These findings suggest that female House members are (1) taking advantage of the unmediated space by forming ties with other House members and (2) being included in rather than isolated from the online political conversation. While female politicians remain in the minority and at risk of facing disadvantages that plague women working in male-dominated spheres including forming fewer and weaker ties than their male counterparts, these findings suggest that Twitter offers a space where male and female House members develop similar levels of indegree and outdegree centrality.

Author

• Morgan Johnstonbaugh, University of Arizona