Women and Public Administration: A Comparative Perspective -- Conclusion

In: Women & politics, Band 11, Heft 4, S. 111-131

Abstract

A conclusion to a symposium on women in public administration (see related abstracts in this section of SA 40:5) that compares the results of questionnaire & interview data gathered 1985-1987 in six different countries: India, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, & the US. Women were present in limited numbers in the top levels of the bureaucracies in all countries, ranging from 1% to 11%. All had high levels of education. All reported experiencing discrimination & gender-related barriers to advancement, as well as the heavy burden of family, marriage, & child care. The top female (F) administrators tend to adapt to the existing (often male [M]) norms of the organizations that they work in rather than confronting or rebelling against such norms. The social origins of top F administrators varied: in India, they came primarily from upper-income groups; in the US, from all social class backgrounds; & in Bulgaria, primarily from non-college-educated parents. Marital status varied from country to country. While similarities may exist between top women administrators in different countries, the different histories, economies, labor markets, governments, cultures, religions, & political ideologies of these countries differ significantly & obviate simple correlational explanations for why or how women have been able to obtain positions in higher administration. 2 Tables, 10 References. AA