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| Dr. Sarah Carson, Linguistic Anthropologist/Special Projects Coordinator |
Many people sometimes sit and think about issues that matter to them and consider the types of change that need be enacted to create, foster, and produce solutions. That was what occurred when a small group of women met and noticed the problems plaguing the political systems in the state of California. This led them to form Emerge California, the first program that trains women throughout the state to run for political office. Since its inception in 2002 this organization has trained over 800 women, many of whom come from underrepresented groups within government but make up a larger majority of the overall population of California (e.g., women of color, LGBTQI, and young and unmarried women). Emerge California reports a nearly 70% success rate in getting these women elected to office, and these successful candidates have become Lieutenant Governor, members of the State Board of Education, California State Assemblywomen, and Mayors. Emerge California staffs’ strategies for success include providing training on understanding the issues that are most important to the candidates’ constituents, how to deal with sexism and racism when running for office, successful fundraising practices, and more.
A more recent hire for Emerge California is linguistic anthropologist Sarah Carson, who earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. Her doctoral research focused on leadership training programs that advance women in politics, making her an optimal fit for Emerge California. Carson started her employment at Emerge California in 2019 as their Special Projects Coordinator. In her position she uses her skills as a researcher, participant observer, and interviewer to manage both internal and external communications for both the organization itself and its clients (i.e., the women political candidates). She also is responsible for creating targeted fundraising campaigns that convey the candidate’s messaging, while also appealing to donors so they contribute financially to the candidate’s campaign. She is also in charge of composing the public communications about Emerge California’s alumni, and how they are applying their training in the current and future political pursuits.
Carson credits her professional success to her linguistic anthropological training and the professional mentorship she received along the way. As a first-generation college student she did not have several of the advantages her peers had. She took advantage of opportunities provided to her in the way of internships and fellowships, accepting advice from experts who counseled her. From these experiences she learned valuable professional skills that enable her to better interpret and translate the language used in job advertisements and how to locate the best personnel to contact when seeking to learn more about potential employment opportunities.
Works Cited
Carson, Sarah. Sarah Carson LinkedIn Profile. n.d. Electronic. 9 January 2023.
Emerge California. Emerge California. 2023. Electronic. 9 January 2023.
Pho, Helen. "PhD Career Exploration Fellow Spotlight: Sarah Carson (Hosted by Penn’s Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences Program)." 20 August 2021. Career Services: University of Pennsylvania. Electronic. 9 January 2023.
7 comments:
Sabthana R.
I love that there are organizations and programs that further promote and support the idea of women in the political field. Being in a male dominated field, there are plenty of opportunities for issues to arise and the fact Emerge California is able to train and educate uprising women in how to handle it, is a wonderful thing. It is a good thing that there are women like Dr. Sarah Carson who are examples of hard work and perseverance.
This article talks about how a group of women in California help other women run for political office. Sarah Carson helped them by using her skills in researching to get them elected in office. And gave them everything they needed and training them.
By Kerriauna Johnson
Dr. Carson is a woman to be inspired by. Her fight for not only her own success in the system as well as the fight for other women. I find it interesting how despite this being such a different field she thanks her knowledge of Anthropology first and foremost.
Kennedi W.
It's great to hear that Sarah Carson's linguistic anthropological training has helped her become successful in her current role at Emerge California. Her skills as a researcher and communicator seem to be a great fit for her position as Special Projects Coordinator. It's also inspiring to hear how she has overcome challenges and taken advantage of opportunities to get to where she is today.
-Alondia Gray
I love how the people in this article created a solution for a major issue in politics. This looks to be a useful resource for many people who may not have the advantage of prior political knowledge. Often times those who want to run for office do not due to lack of resources or opportunities. This article stresses the importance of creating a more equal field to give people from all backgrounds a chance. Hopefully programs like this one in California can spread to other states.
The curriculum of Emerge California shows a dedication to giving women the tools they need to enter politics and get beyond obstacles to representation. The group supports more gender diversity and inclusion in political leadership roles by offering training and assistance to women from a variety of backgrounds. A testimony to the efficacy of Emerge California's training programs is the remarkable 70% success record of its graduates in obtaining political office. This figure emphasizes how crucial it is to fund programs that encourage women to pursue political careers and provide them the tools and resources necessary to be successful in elections.
I think that Overall, this post serves as a testament to the power of dedicated individuals and organizations in effecting meaningful change. It underscores the importance of diversity in political representation and the need for continued efforts to achieve it.
-Ahmesha Johnson
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