TITLE:
Exploring the Journey and Perspectives of Women County Executives in Tennessee
AUTHORS:
James I. Greene, Jr., Lorie Pettus Jones, Melissa G. Greene
KEYWORDS:
Local Government, Women Leaders, Political Leadership, Social Roles
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
22,
2023
ABSTRACT: The need for equal gender representation is crucial
at local political levels. Of the 95 counties in Tennessee, only three
currently have women county executives, and this representation is even less
than in 2022 when five counties were led by women in the executive role.
Although women account for only 19.8% of county chief executive officers
nationwide, Tennessee falls well below the average with a mere 3.2% representation across all counties. The purpose of
this phenomenological study was to explore and better understand the
professional journeys of women county executives in Tennessee. Three themes
emerged from analysis of the data: the nurturing/caregiving nature of women,
the importance of political parties, and the impact on children. The study
expands the current knowledge base on the career progression of elected women
to help equalize women’s presence in county government across the state.