Melanie Hughes, PhD
- Professor
My primary interests lie in the study of gender and politics across countries. I have published numerous articles on the topic in journals such as American Sociological Review, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and Social Forces. I coauthored a book titled Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective, now in its Fourth Edition (Rowman & Littlefield, March 2020). I am particularly interested in the ways that gender intersects with other forces of marginalization to influence women’s political power. My book manuscript in progress investigates the political dominance of men from racial, ethnic, and religious majority groups worldwide. I also work hard to connect my research to policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Since 2015, I have been collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to increase the availability of data on gender equality in public administration.
Education & Training
- PhD, The Ohio State University, 2008
- MA, The Ohio State University, 2004
- BA, University of Texas- Austin, 2001
Representative Publications
Recent Publications:
Holmsten, Stephanie, Melanie M. Hughes, and Robert Moser. Forthcoming. “Invisibility or Inclusion? Ethnic Parties, Ethnic Seats, and Gender Quotas and the Representation of Minoritized Women.” Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy.
Finkel, Müge Kökten, Caroline Howard Grøn, and Melanie M. Hughes. 2023. “Moving On Up? Effects of Leadership Training and Intersectoral Mobility on Women’s Advancement in Danish Public Administration Management.” Review of Public Personnel Administration 43(2):215–238.
Zetterberg, Pär, Elin Bjårnegard, Melanie M. Hughes, and Pamela Paxton. 2022. “Democracy and the Adoption of Gender Quotas Worldwide.” Journal of Comparative Politics 54(2):327–348.
Arana Araya, Ignacio, Melanie M. Hughes, and Aníbal Pérez-Liñán. 2021. “Judicial Reshuffles and Women Justices in Latin America.” American Journal of Political Science 65(2):373–388.
Paxton, Pamela, Melanie M. Hughes, and Tiffany D. Barnes. 2020. Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective, 4th Edition. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Research Interests
- Political sociology
- Sex and gender
- Race/class/gender
- Global and transnational sociology
- Quantitative methodology
