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Aidan Smith

Administrative Associate Professor and Director, Newcomb Scholars Program, Tulane University of Louisiana
Chapter Leader: New Orleans SSN
Areas of Expertise:

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About Aidan

Smith’s research focuses on gender and politics, ranging from the executive branch to grassroots activist work. As an interdisciplinary feminist scholar, her work explores perceptions of appropriate masculine and feminine leadership in American contexts. Overarching themes in Smith’s writings include the deployment of motherhood, fatherhood, and heterosexuality for political gain. She conducts both quantitative and qualitative analysis of cultural materials to consider larger arguments within popular discourse, from campaign commercials to social media engagements. She is involved in several organizations in the New Orleans community.

In the News

Opinion: "When Black Women Use Motherhood’s Power To Advocate for Black Lives," Aidan Smith, The Washington Post, May 9, 2021.
Opinion: "The Overlooked Significance Kamala Harris Brought to the Biden-Harris Ticket," Aidan Smith, The Hill, November 11, 2020.

Publications

"Biased Beliefs May Be Impeding U.S. Women’s Progress in Political Leadership," (with Clare M. Daniel, Aidan Smith, Priyanka Patel, Namratha Rao, and Jakana Thomas), Newcomb Institute, Tulane University, August 22, 2024.

Examines gender representation in U.S. politics, highlighting that while women’s presence in elected offices is at a historic high, they remain under-represented compared to men. Findings show that the minority of U.S. adults believe that men are better political leaders than women, though this view is more common among conservatives and men. Underscores the need to address persistent gender biases and beliefs to achieve gender parity in political representation and ensure that women's issues are adequately addressed in policy-making.

"Gender, Heteronormativity, and the American Presidency" (Routledge, 2018).

Reveals how each presidential candidate used his or her campaign to position themselves as a defender of traditional gender roles, and how this investment in "appropriate" gender behavior was made manifest in both international and domestic policy choices.