Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Communication (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Communication

Advisor/Mentor

Jennings, Freddie

Committee Member

Dionne, Jake

Second Committee Member

Lee, Joomi

Keywords

Gender; Leadership; Protests; Social Movements

Abstract

Leaders are at the frontline as they determine the attitude that audiences have towards social movements and the level of attention they are willing to give to those movements. This paper investigates the influence of a neighborhood environmental protest leader’s gender on perceived leadership and democratic participation. The study relies on self-categorization theory, social identity theory, and the concept of issue-fit to assert the possibility of women gaining from the cultural connection between environmental care and femininity, while also experiencing backlash due to the masculine coding of leadership. A post-test online experiment involving 189 university students was conducted in which participants were randomly assigned to watch a protest scenario presented in a news-style format, led by either a woman or a man. Results revealed no significant overall difference in perceived leadership between women leaders and men leaders. However, this relationship was moderated by reader gender, with men rating same-gender leaders more positively. Perceived leadership was positively correlated with both deliberative engagement—discussing the issue with others—and participatory engagement—attending protests and signing petitions. Additionally, participants expressed greater willingness to attend protests organized by a woman leader. These findings suggest that the effects of leader gender are neither direct nor uniform; rather, they vary depending on audience identity and perceptions of leadership. This research contributes to the literature on protest communication, gender, and democratic participation in environmental social movements.

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