Feminist Futures

A standing-room only crowd gathered in UC Santa Barbara’s McCune Conference Room to hear a panel of experts explore the question, ‘Why do white women vote for Trump?’

Reflecting on the 2016 election, panelists Jane Junn (USC), Lorrie Frasure-Yokley (UCLA), Justin Gest (George Mason University) and William Marble (Stanford University), as well as UC Santa Barbara’s Alice O’Connor, a professor of history, and Edwina Barvosa, a professor of feminist studies, presented research touching on race, gender and class. 

Moderated and organized by Pei-te Lien, a professor of political science, the panel discussed not only the outcome of the most recent election but also white women’s historical support of the GOP and what voting patterns we might see in the future. 

The event was inspired in part by alumnus and donor Blair Hull (’65), a trustee of the UC Santa Barbara Foundation, and served to kick off the Feminist Futures initiative for 2019-2020. Hull sponsors the initiative, overseen by professor of feminist studies and associate dean of social sciences Leila Rupp, which features a yearlong series of events on campus exploring gender and sexuality.