In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

3 The Nation’s Hostess: The First Lady and Symbolic Representation Symbols are numerous and diverse in the presidency, but the White House may be the most conspicuous and the most meaningful. Well into the twentieth century, those attending White House receptions and dinners wore “court dress,” conforming to standards set in western European royal courts. Women, for example, were expected to wear gowns with six-foot trains. And yet in this same period there was a public White House reception on New Year’s Day. People stood for hours in the cold, waiting to be welcomed into the White House by the president and first lady, who shook hands with every individual in line. Time and again, the White House has symbolized both the monarchical qualities of the presidency and its close ties to democratic-republican ideals. Dwight Eisenhower reinforced these perceptions , writing in his memoirs that “the White House is not just a well-run home for the Chief Executive; it is a living story of past pioneering, struggles, wars, innovations, and a growing America. I like to think of it as a symbol of freedom and of the homes and future accomplishments of her people.” To recognize the White House as a symbol of great importance to the presidency is to acknowledge its power in framing both an enduring office and an effervescent administration. There is an immediacy to the social outreach that is conducted in this setting. The rituals associated with ceremonies , receptions, teas, luncheons, and state dinners are subtly shaped by each administration to reflect its principles and priorities. Along the way, the administration hopes, these rituals will encourage observers to draw constructive connections between a widely valued political symbol (the White House) and a sometimes controversial organization (the administration). Even when communications and relationship building are less personal and are mediated by mass communication, attention to the symbolic value of the White House continues. The decision to broadcast from the Oval Office or the East Room, as one example, is carefully considered. Given these circumstances, the individuals who manage the White House 60 chapter 3 wield considerable influence. Serving as the nation’s hostess is arguably the oldest of the roles informally assigned to the president’s wife; it remains central to the first lady’s performance as a representative. As the nation’s hostess, the first lady in consultation with others in the White House Office decides who will be invited to the White House. Not merely a gatekeeper or a chatelaine , the first lady is among those deciding who will be recognized by the presidency. Identifying the first lady as the nation’s hostess may seem to magnify the private-sphere roles that have historically been ascribed to women. These duties appear marginal to the public-sphere responsibilities of political decision making, which are traditionally reserved to men. And yet, because symbols have such great meaning, and because the role of nation’s hostess empowers the first lady to frame and interpret such formidable political symbols as the White House, these duties have led to increased presidential interest in the work of the social office. This in turn has drawn the first lady and her staff into closer contact with the president and other units in the White House Office. These changes have led to a renegotiation of the political and gender boundaries within the White House Office. In more recent administrations, there has been greater coordination between the social office and other units in the White House Office, though ties to the first lady have not necessarily lessened. This chapter investigates and assesses the first ladies’ performance of symbolic representation and their social outreach, the latter referring to the audiences targeted for their symbolic representation. The kinds of events hosted at the White House and in other settings, and their design, execution, and guest lists, give form to the first lady’s and the president’s perceptions of presidential power. More important, the extent to which longstanding practices are continued, changed, or rejected reveals the willingness of the first lady and president to confront history and exercise power, claiming their own authority. Study of the first lady’s symbolic representation provides insight on an administration’s understanding of such fundamental symbols as the White House and such elemental abstractions as presidential power. Strategizing Symbolic Representation: First Ladies and Social Secretaries The symbolic representation provided by the first lady has undergone...

Share