Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Political Science

Advisor/Mentor

Dr. A. Burcu Bayram

Committee Member

Dr. Ryan Calabretta Sajder

Second Committee Member

Dr. Rogelio Garcia Contreras

Abstract

What explains women’s underrepresentation in the United States Foreign Service? The United States Foreign Service Act of 1980 claims that the foreign service needs to be “truly representative of the American people throughout all levels.” Women also constitute the majority in such fields as political science and international relations, which often lead to a career in foreign service. If there are no legal obstacles to women’s entry into foreign service and women are the majority in the education systems that lead to a career in foreign service, then why are women not participating? Existing explanations focused on structural factors such as intuitional and educational barriers do not provide a full explanation. Drawing from political psychology and foreign policy analysis, I argue that there are self-imposed psychological barriers that exacerbate some of the existing barriers, thereby limiting women’s participation in the United States Foreign Service. I provide evidence for my core claims using original data from a survey of University of Arkansas students (International Relations and Political Science majors) and from comparative case studies of Scandinavian countries. The results indicate that women anticipate experiencing sexism, perceive insufficient institutional support, believe the Foreign Service does not promote a healthy work–life balance, and report a lack of visible role models within the institution. My findings have important policy implications for increasing women’s participation in foreign policy and diplomacy and in politics more generally.

Keywords

gender, women, political participation, foreign service, political psychology, survey and case study research

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