Illinois Wesleyan Political Science Professor Co-Edits New Volume

June 13, 2003

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Kathleen Montgomery, associate professor of political science at Illinois Wesleyan University, is co-editor of a new volume that examines the role of women in the political process in post-Communist Europe.

Women’s Access to Political Power in Post-Communist Europe, which Montgomery edited with Richard Matland of the University of Houston is published by Oxford University Press in its Gender and Politics Series.

The book has assembled a series of scholars to examine not only the current status of political representation of women in Eastern Europe but also how the representation of women in these countries has changed since the transition from Communism. In addition, authors have applied theories about political access developed in the West to the Eastern European countries.

One of the scholars is Josip Glaurdic, a former student of Montgomery’s at Illinois Wesleyan who is currently a Sterling Fellow at Yale University where he is pursuing the Ph.D. in comparative politics. Glaurdic, who is Croatian, contributes a chapter on the changes in his home country. He wrote the original draft of the paper during a political science Senior Seminar at Illinois Wesleyan and converted it into Honors Research. The paper won the prestigious Eckley Award. Glaurdic’s chapter is titled "Croatia’s Leap Toward Gender Equality in the Parliament: Rules and Players."

"Josip’s inclusion in this volume is enormously gratifying," said Montgomery. "To have produced a paper of sufficient quality to be included in a volume of this sort speaks volumes about what a gifted political scientist Josip is."

In addition to serving as co-editor, Montgomery wrote the book’s introduction, co-authored a chapter on political theory, and co-authored with Gabriella Ilonszki of the University of Economic Sciences in Budapest a chapter on female under-representation in Hungary.

Montgomery has conducted extensive research in Hungary with the assistance of Fulbright, IREX, and IWU Artistic and Scholarly Development grants. She has published on Hungarian politics, post-communist parties, legislative behavior, regime transition, and women in post-communist systems.

A graduate of Santa Clara University, she received her Ph.D. from Emory University. She teaches courses in comparative politics and women and politics.