Roundtable: The Critical Study of Male Overrepresentation

Abstract

The purpose of this roundtable is to consider and discuss gender gaps in politics with a specific focus on men, as opposed to the traditional focus on women. In the field of gender and politics, there is a growing interest in critically studying men and masculinity. Such a critical focus on men is necessary in order to understand the nature of male dominance, the way that male power is wielded and perpetuated, and the negative effects that this has for politicians and citizens of both sexes. Reframing the question of gender and representation permits the identification of new research agendas focusing explicitly on men’s dominance in politics rather than women’s marginalization or underrepresentation. The presentations on this roundtable demonstrate some of the ways in which a focus on men as men can take concepts developed within the literature on women and politics and offer new and important insights that have not yet been explored. New questions and research areas within the field of gender and politics are invoked, and this roundtable will demonstrate that the study of men, masculinities, and politics is fertile ground for research, requiring much greater exploration. Alongside illustrations of the theoretical contributions that a focus on men can offer in all these areas, we will discuss distinctive methodological challenges presented by critically studying men and masculinities, especially for women. Collectively, these presentations illuminate a burgeoning new research agenda on men and masculinities in politics, illustrating some of the many ways in which the current emphasis on women within gender and politics research could be expanded fruitfully to include critical research on men. Themes that we explore include feminist institutionalism; political recruitment; descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation; and intersectionality.

Title	Details
Revisiting Forms of Representation by Critically Examining Men	View Paper Details
The Usefulness of Feminist Institutionalism and Male Dominance in Politics	View Paper Details
Male Practices and Discourses as a consequence of Male Political Dominance	View Paper Details
Intersectional Perspectives on Men and Masculinities	View Paper Details