Is Biden’s Choice of an All-Female Senior Press Team Sexist?
By: Shane J. Ralston
Tags: Government, Communications Strategy, Sexism, Politics, Presidential Campaign

Is Biden’s Choice of an All-Female Senior Press Team Sexist?

President-elect Joe Biden recently chose a senior press team composed entirely of white women. Thank goodness for progress, right?

Nevertheless, one might wonder how diverse such a team truly is. Where are the transgendered individuals? Where are the men? Where are the African-Americans?

Biden’s senior press team will be led by his campaign communications director Kate Bedingfield. She will be assisted by Jennifer Psaki, a long-time Democratic spokesperson. Both are white women.

Bedingfield and Psaki, two members of Biden’s hand-picked communications team.

In only one respect does the decision seem to be a throwback. Both Bedingfield and Psaki are Obama administration veterans.

Two cheers for progress!

On its face, this is an extremely progressive move: Put women in key positions within the new administration, roles that have traditionally been occupied by men.

It’s tantamount to affirmative action. If women have been historically underrepresented and/or actively excluded from these positions, then let’s even the score!

Two cheers for progress!

However, in the past 20 years, Communications as an academic discipline and as a professional field has become increasingly dominated by women. Presidential press teams typically have more than 50% women. PR firms too.

So, women are not in danger of being railroaded away from Communications or excluded from the field. The affirmative action rationale is, therefore, weak.

Biden’s announcement

How then should we interpret Biden’s decision? In a recent statement, Biden team offers an explanation:

Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a president, and this [all-female] team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House.

Are women especially well qualified to communicate directly and truthfully? Do women perform better than men and transgendered individuals when shouldered with such “tremendous responsibility”?

Are women, more than men or transgenders, exceptional liaison officers between the government and citizens? Is female generally a qualification for public service?

Biden continues:

These qualified, experienced [female] communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better.

Are the best communicators always women? If so, why? Does being blessed at birth with female sex organs necessarily give someone a diverse perspective?

Note that Biden’s senior communications team is by definition not diverse. It is composed of one kind: white women.

The housekeeping model of governance

In the field of Public Administration, there is an administrative model — sometimes called “social housekeeping,” “civic housekeeping” or “municipal housekeeping” — that explores housework as a metaphor for governing.

The dirty streets, contaminated water and overburdened sewer systems, as well as poorly lit, ventilated, cluttered, unsanitary working conditions all lead to disease, chronic health conditions or tragic accidents. These are conditions that have counterparts in the household: dirty floors, cluttered living rooms, unhygienic kitchens and bathrooms. Cleaning up these messes is a responsibility traditionally delegated (by men) to women.

According to the housekeeping model of governance, governments should care for their citizens by cleaning up their messes. Who better to govern than the traditional housekeepers: Women, of course. Isn’t that sexist?

Cleaning up Biden’s messes is women’s work

If open and honest government communication is comparable to good housekeeping, then sexism motivated Biden’s decision to appoint an all-female senior press team.

Female isn’t a typical qualification for being an effective and truthful communicator. However, it might still be a qualification for being on Biden’s communications team. How so? It’s a throwback to a bygone era when women traditionally cleaned up after the messes of men.

According to Biden’s dated views, females make good housekeepers. Having a woman vouch for your sincerity or authenticity is something powerful men do. It’s called ‘reputation laundering’ for a reason. Thus, women are supremely well qualified to clean up Biden’s messes — you know, those that make us question his sincerity and authenticity.

Biden has a solid track record of communications gaffes. It’s a history of messes that begs for women to clean up after him. So, consistent with the housekeeping model of governance, women are then the natural choice for the Biden administration’s senior communications team.

Before giving Biden credit for his progressive choice of an all-female senior press staff, we should first critically interrogate his rationale — and fault him for his sexism.