What Role is there for Behavior Change Approaches in Gender and Politics?

In recent years research informed by behavior change approaches has become widespread within social science. And despite some skepticism, ‘nudges’ have increasingly been seen by both academics and policy-makers as an important and effective tool that can ensure that various policy goals, ranging over increasing tax payments, organ donation and recycling, are more likely to be met. But despite the work of behavioral economists such as Iris Bohnet and others in management sciences around gender biases in recruitment, as yet only a small number of gender and politics scholars have utilized this approach to date. This paper considers what behavior change approaches might offer to both gender and politics scholars, and to the strategies to improve gender equality in political institutions such as political parties and legislatures. The paper does this by addressing a number of important methodological questions, such as firstly, are the methods commonly used in behavior change research – like laboratory experiments - widely accepted and successfully integrated into gender and politics research. And secondly are there any ethical concerns raised by the use of this approach to inform gender equality strategies? The paper concludes that behavior change approaches do have much to offer gender and politics scholars, and particularly those gender scholars attempting to understand how informal norms and practices impact on outcomes, and those hoping to improve the effectiveness of gender equality strategies.