A Common Language of Gender?

Is there a common language of gender in political science research? One might expect the answer to be no, given the wide range of ways in which scholars employ the concept of gender in empirical and theoretical research. I maintain, however, that a common language of gender does exist and that we must articulate it in explicit terms in order to advance the way we build knowledge in this field. In this contribution to “Critical Perspectives on Gender and Politics,” I suggest two ways in which to employ “gender” as part of a common language that the subfield can employ for the purposes of empirical political research: gender as a category and as a process. © 2005, The Women and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association. All rights reserved.