Feminisation of Politics - Studying Social Life - Lecture Slides, Slides of Sociology

Download Feminisation of Politics - Studying Social Life - Lecture Slides and more Slides Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! The Feminisation of Politics docsity.com Lecture Outline • Introduction • Meaning of Political Representation • Theory of Critical Mass • Methods to Investigate the Question of Whether Women Transform Politics • Previous Research Findings • Impediments to the Feminisation of Politics in Britain • Conclusion docsity.com Two Meanings of Political Representation by Feminists • 1. Descriptive: Numerical Representation • - Actual number or presence of women as elected members • 2. Substantive Representation • - Women representatives will “act for” women docsity.com Arguments for Descriptive Representation • Equality, justice and fairness • Basis of legitimacy of democratic system • - Symbolic Reasons (Anne Phillips) • Women make a difference by their presence • “Stand for” women in a symbolic sense • As descriptive representatives in political institutions • However they may or may not act differently than men or represent women’s interests docsity.com Arguments for Substantive Representation • Theoretical and practical expectations that once present (in sufficient numbers) • Women representative will “act for” women • Ensure that women’s needs and concerns are more fully represented and have impact on policy outcomes • Assumes that women bring particular knowledge, values and skills to politics • Women make a difference by “acting like” women • Changes in the masculinist political behaviour and institutional norms • The “Feminisation” of Politics docsity.com Theoretical Sociological Arguments (Norris) • The lives of men and women continue to diverge • Structural differences (education, family responsibilities, occupations) that stretch from cradle to the grave • These differences lead to a distinctive women’s perspective on many majors issues • As distinctive political perspective, women voice should be heard in the policy-making process • By electing more women to office, feminists argue: • - women would represent other women • - articulate women’s concerns • - change and nature and direction of public policy • Introduce a kinder, gentler politics • “Change in the ya-boo culture of the House of Commons” (Claire Short) • Note: This idea not new (class interests in the past) • docsity.com Current Debate in International Feminist Literature • Relationship between “representation” and “representativeness” • - Descriptive versus substantive representation • Currently link is viewed as complicated and contingent • although plausible that women will act for women, no guarantees • - impact of partisan loyalties and institutional factors • - shifting identities and differences among women • However, all agree that presence of women is important • in its own right on the grounds of justice • Category of “woman” can contest and inform policy-agendas of government • All agree that a substantial presence is needed docsity.com Theory of Critical Mass: Basic Assumption • Once a critical mass of women are elected it will lead to changes in political behaviour, institutions and public policy • It will radically transform parliaments and legislatures • First proposed in political science by Drude Dahlerup who argued that a critical mass of women would: • • - radically transform legislative behaviour (particularly style and public policy) • - encourage and legitimise the presence of women • - lead to even more women coming forward and being selected docsity.com Do Women Transform Politics? • Does descriptive representation lead to substantive representation? Do Women have a different style of politics? docsity.com Blaire’s babes: The 101 Female MP’s elected in 1997 docsity.com Questionable Whether this Argument Should be used • Sarah Childs: • Reproduces essentialist notions of sex • Risk that when women’s feminised style not in vogue demand for women politicians will be reduced docsity.com Focused on Four Areas: • Perceptions of Office Holders • Issue Positions • Pursuit of Issue Positions • Decision-Making Process • Type of Leadership docsity.com Perception of Office Holders • Women office holders perceive themselves as hard-working and responsible contributors to the process • Felt they often had a much harder time proving themselves as capable contributors docsity.com Distinctive Issue Positions • Women legislators hold different issue positions than male legislators • - more liberal • - more supportive of women’s issues • - regardless of party docsity.com Exercise Different Style of Leadership • Relies on cooperation than conflict • Inclusion rather than exclusion • Consensus rather than hierarchical/controlled decision-making docsity.com Feminisation of Politics • Consensual style of politics evident in state legislatures across the USA • Conclude: Political Leadership is Gendered and That Women Make a Distinct Difference that Transcends their Symbolic Function • Substantive representation and not just descriptive one docsity.com Evidence from Britain (Female Labour MPs) • Perceptions of Office Holders • Issue Positions • Pursuit of Issue Positions • Different Type of Politics • Different Style of Politics docsity.com Pursuit of Issue Positions (Cowley and Childs) • Despite the perceptions of the female members, there is little evidence to support their view • In fact, new female MPs were to more likely support the government in relation to legislation (Cowley and Childs) than other members of the labour parliamentary party • This the case even in relation to the controversial and landmark vote on the lone parent allowance in 1997 • • Led to media representation of them as blindly loyal and “too spineless to rebel” and reinforce the earlier impression of them as “Blair’s Babes” and the “Stepford Wives” docsity.com Exercise a Different Type of Politics • Although don’t vote against the government, female MPs claim that they have influence behind the scenes • in fact, argued that rebelling is a masculine way of “doing politics” more concerned with gesture politics • Have been able to highlight many women’s issues • particularly in select committees and via early day motions (EDM) where they place women’s issues on the commons agenda docsity.com Exercise a Different Style of Politics (Childs) • Women prefer a less combative and aggressive style • Unlike men less likely to be repetitive • Choosing not to engage fully in the chamber because do not wish to adopt its style • Also a belief that the women operated not as individuals but as part of teams docsity.com Resistance and Sexism in Most Blatant Form • “Women are natural bitches. They mistrust other women and have a general sense of insecurity about representing their interests. The day’s work here at the House of Commons is more naturally tackled by a man. Once you start giving women special privileges and pushing them forward – and it’s the same with ethnic minorities- you give them a false send that they are equal to the task” (MP John Carlisle, 1987). • Shock at the cruelty of some MPs • “Shortly after I got to the house, Dennis Skinner would shout across the Chamber to me, ‘Tell us your age! Where’s your birth certificate? Here she comes Harvey Proctor in drag.” (Teresa Gorman). • When Joan Ruddock protested about police strip-searching of women at Greenham Common, Conservative MP’s opposite shouted: “Cor, we’d like to strip search you too. docsity.com Resistance and Sexism in Most Blatant Form • “In 2001 an unnamed Labour women MP objected to routine shouts of “melons, melons” when she got up to speak. When she complained to Betty Boothroyd, she was told “such experiences came with the territory.” (Guardian, 2001) • Constant complaints from women MPs about being propositioned by drunken colleagues • The effect of this blatantly sexist atmosphere • “Just the style of the House of Commons makes you very aware that you are a woman…Even the rituals enforce it. For example, if you make a point of order, you have to sit down and put a top hat on” (Claire Short) docsity.com Male-Derived Practices of the House • 1. Parliamentary debates: • Favours deflamatory, adversial style of debate • rhetoric, speechifying, posturing • Not cooperation, census-seeking or the real discussion of alternatives • In fact, Tess Kingham (labour MP) stood down as the 2001 election claiming that the house of commons culture was comprised of: • “school-boy politics and antiquated practices” • plus a “bullying system” operated by the parliamentary whips • or as one current labour mp put it: “it is populated by a bunch of wankers” (Childs) docsity.com Nature of the Party System in Britain • 1. Unlike the USA, Britain has a strong parliamentary system • - particularly true of the new labour government • which operated an extremely strict party system • only dependable speakers called to speak in debates • party whips extremely active in ensuring that new members followed the party line • 2. At every election party members have to be re-selected by the party although selected at local level have to be officially sanctioned by the national executive council • - many of the new female labour mps had been selected via all-women shortlists which were imposed by the national executive • - and many were members of the house of commons for the first time and thus dependent on the party whips for guidance docsity.com Conclusion • Although more women now elected to the house of commons this has not led to the feminisation of politics • Despite the claims of some feminist scholars, in Great Britain at least: • descriptive representation has not led to substantive representation • Not to suggest, however, that women mps do not make a difference or have a different style of politics • However, they have not led to a radical transformation in the house of commons. Why? • - institutional sexism • - backlash again the new female mps • - nature of the parliamentary system in britain docsity.com Why Lack of Support for Critical Mass Theory; Feminisation of Politics • Simply relies on the counting of biological females to explain the difference women make in politics • thus, it fails to take into account the gendered environment in which female mps work • As Childs concludes in terms of a more fruitful approach is to: • take into account the different gendered environments in which female representatives work • and explore whether and which political contexts are “safe” for women to act like (and for) women docsity.com