Christina Bejarano

Assistant Professor

Department of Political Science

Contact Information

Office phone number(s): 785-864-9122
Office: 311 Blake Hall
Office Hours:
Email Address: cbejaran@ku.edu

Mailing Address:	Department of Political Science
	1541 Lilac Lane, University of Kansas
	Lawrence, KS 66044-3177
	USA

Background

Educational Background

Graduated from:

University of Iowa, Ph.D., 2007
University of Iowa, M.A., 2003
University of North Texas-Denton,Texas, B.A., 2002

First Appointed at KU: 2007

Areas of Interest

Brief list of research and teaching interests

American Politics: Latino Politics, Women and Politics and Minority Political Behavior

Publications

Refereed Articles:

"What Goes Around, Comes Around: Race, Blowback and the Louisiana Elections of 2002 and 2003," with Gary Segura. Political Research Quarterly. 60:328-337. 2007.

Research Statement

My research goal is to incorporate the diverse viewpoints and life experiences of both minorities and women into mainstream U.S. politics research.  I am particularly interested in examining questions of intersectionality of multiple identities, especially the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender.  In the last ten years, minority women in politics have made significant strides. Their success has surpassed political scientists’ expectations and explanations.  During the late 1990s, minority women made up significant proportions of their respective minority delegations in both the U.S. national and state legislatures.  The political participation rates for minority females have dramatically increased in the last ten years, even exceeding the rates for white women compared to their white male counterparts.  Further, minority females participate in politics at higher rates than their male counterparts.  Despite the growth in minority female’s political success, scholars have yet to offer clear explanations for it. 

Consequently, I bring forth the important dynamics of intersectionality of gender and race/ethnicity to outline the conditions under which minorities and women successfully compete for electoral office and how they shape or influence electoral politics.  The main focus of my research explores the dynamics of intersectionality, of race/ethnicity and gender, for both minority female political candidates and voters.  I am currently working on a book project: “The Latina Twist on U.S. Political Success”, which will challenges the belief about minority female candidates facing double electoral disadvantages due to the intersection of their gender and race/ethnicity.  Following from my book project my second research agenda extends the line of inquiry in a new direction.  The new project “Gender, Social Incorporation and Political Participation” explores the influence of gender on Latinos political behavior using the 2006 Latino National Survey and Contextual Database (LNS).  This comprehensive gender project includes several gendered research questions utilizing the national dataset on Latinos.  The project joins researchers discussing Latina political behavior in the U.S., immigration studies, and gender politics.  This research will lead to greater understanding of the factors influencing Latina political behavior in the United States.