This paper discusses the representation of women in politics and aims to identify the consequences of their presence in politics, more concrete in democracies. Therefore the author will analyse several forms of representation. This work will discuss primarily the descriptive and symbolic representation of women as “standing for something” and resembling half of the world population. How does the representation of woman in politics affect women in the real world? And what is the value and what are the costs of descriptive and symbolic representation of women? Moreover the connection to substantive representation is explained briefly. For this work the author will use the concepts as developed by Hanna Pitkin in her book “The concept of Representation”. These will be explained now in the first Chapter before the analyses.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Concepts of Representation
- Descriptive Representation
- Women's Descriptive Representation
- The Value of the Descriptive Representation of Women in Politics
- Symbolic Representation
- Women's Symbolic Representation
- Substantive Representation
- Women's Substantive Representation
- Conclusion
- Descriptive Representation
- Angela Merkel as Political Representative
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper explores the political representation of women in politics, delving into the different types of representation and their impact on women's participation and influence in political systems. The author examines how descriptive, symbolic, and substantive representation relate to women's presence and role in political decision-making.
- Concepts of Representation
- Women's Descriptive Representation
- Women's Symbolic Representation
- Women's Substantive Representation
- Angela Merkel as a Case Study
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction: The chapter sets the stage by discussing the importance of representation in democratic systems and highlights the historical and current underrepresentation of women in politics. It emphasizes the need for political equality and discusses the limitations of traditional models of democracy in addressing gender disparities.
- Concepts of Representation: This chapter delves into the various concepts of representation, drawing upon Hanna Pitkin's influential work. It focuses on the distinctions between descriptive, symbolic, and substantive representation, providing a framework for understanding the representation of women in politics.
- Descriptive Representation: The chapter examines the concept of descriptive representation, exploring its different forms and how it applies to women's presence in political institutions. It discusses the arguments for and against microcosmic and selective forms of descriptive representation, particularly in relation to the representation of marginalized groups.
Keywords
This paper focuses on key concepts such as political representation, descriptive representation, symbolic representation, substantive representation, women's representation in politics, gender equality, and the historical and contemporary challenges to women's participation in political decision-making. It also draws upon case studies such as Angela Merkel's political career to illustrate the complexities of women's representation in practice.
- Quote paper
- Master of Arts Stella Benedickt (Author), 2020, The Political Representation of Women in Politics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1303234
