When President Biden handed the baton to Kamala Harris in a national address last Wednesday, he his He endorsed him as the party’s vice presidential candidate, citing three key words: “Experienced. Tough. Competent.”
These are exactly the words that need to be said about Harris if she is to navigate the treacherous maze that has been called the “gender labyrinth.” Warmth and Competence MatrixAnd they survive this matrix because almost all of Harris’ running mates have something in common. A white man who exudes competence.
Groundbreaking Research Professor of Psychology, Princeton University Susan Fisk Behavioral psychologists have found that women are held to a double standard when it comes to warmth and competence, which Fisk and Harvard psychology professor Mina Cicala call “the double standard.”Reciprocal sexism.” In one studyResearchers from the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University found that when women network, they are perceived as “too dominant and ambitious” and lose “status.”
The impact of this “warmth and competence” is already being felt by Harris, who is black and South Asian, and who will have to overcome three hurdles in the future.
Researchers Maya Godbole, Noelle Malver, and Virginia Varian found In a survey of more than 60 traits that can be categorized as masculine, feminine, or neutral, Donald Trump was rated as “very masculine” and “not at all feminine,” winning voters’ support as a male candidate. However, women seeking public office were “The trap of likability“Candidates will need to demonstrate strong leadership qualities traditionally considered masculine while also embodying feminine traits,” the researchers wrote.
In 2016, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was “penalized” in the presidential election for being “not feminine” and “not appearing warm enough, which goes against what is expected of a woman.” In comparison, Harris received higher marks in 2020 because she “struck a nearly impossible balance between masculinity and femininity.”
The researchers limited their findings in two ways. First, they [Harris’s] “Her decline in favorability since becoming the vice presidential nominee may be in part due to her assuming a subordinate position that a woman ‘should’ occupy,” he said, while Clinton was competing at the top of the list.
Secondly, the study Regarding the findings that support the hypothesis that Clinton and Harris “were not held to the same standards of femininity,” the authors wrote that Harris “smiled and responded warmly” because Challenging the stereotype that black women are aggressive — her femininity may be more pronounced than it would be from a white woman.”
Less than a week after she received her party’s endorsement, Trump and his fellow Republicans have already MAGA MegaphoneHe harshly criticized Harris, calling her incompetent, in crude, racist and misogynistic terms.
On Sunday, former Trump administration official Sebastian Gorka said of Harris:Laughing like a crazy womanOn Monday morning, Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett It is called He called Harris the “DEI Vice President.” The next day, Trump attacked Harris. At a rally In Charlotte, North Carolina, he called her a “lying Kamala Harris” and a “far-left lunatic.”
Harris strategically created plenty of warmth, Star Notorious“Coconut tree” She poured her love of cooking into creating the South Indian dish Masala Dosa. video With actress Mindy Kaling, she addressed the issue of “laughing out loud.” interview When meeting actress Drew Barrymore, she declared that she “has a motherly laugh” and never giggled quietly. “I’m not that kind of person,” she said, telling young people, “Don’t get caught up in other people’s perceptions… of how you should behave to be who you are.”
It’s wise (and kind) advice, but as research shows, it’s hard to shake the perception that Harris lacks “competence,” even though she is clearly a qualified candidate with a track record as a senator and state attorney general.
Behavioral Scientist Christopher Graves The “zero-sum game” of warmth and competence is “horribly unfair” to women, he says. Still, he says, Harris may be able to thread the needle thanks to the “differentiation effect” of her audience.
“If she’s going to counter the strongman, authoritarian role that Trump is playing, she should adopt that tough prosecutor image,” Graves said. “But her team is clearly Worship the youngShe is both competent and likeable.”
This is where Harris’ running mate comes in. From among the many fiercely contested candidates, Harris must choose a running mate with the authority and ability to make up for her weaknesses: someone who is a policy wonk. Governor Josh Shapiro Veteran politician from Pennsylvania and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Or Arizona Senator Mark KellyFormer astronaut.
It’s hard to say that a veteran politician like Harris needs a man to make up for her weaknesses, but she had a powerful mentor on her path to becoming a top candidate: Biden. Biden has conveyed warmth and competence to Harris throughout much of her career, and now he’s defending that competence by expressing his support.
Now Harris must find a successor, someone who can help her navigate the treacherous maze that is the working woman’s road to the most powerful office on earth.
Chitra Raghavan teeth Executive Leadership Coach and Strategic Advisor Interviews with CEOs and thought leaders. A former national correspondent for NPR and U.S. News & World Report, Raghavan previously served as a senior advisor to the CEO of Palantir and as a senior executive at a technology company.
