Feminist Institutionalism and the Role of Political Networks

Abstract

This panel seeks to increase our understanding about how networks fit within a feminist institutionalist framework. The gendered dynamics of political networks are becoming increasingly well-documented, but there are still a number of questions that need to be addressed. There is a need to move beyond documenting disadvantage to identify the specific institutional mechanisms and configurations through which gender discrimination operates, and how these might be reformed. We also need to understand how political networks can operate as strategic forces against such discrimination. The panel presents research on formal as well as informal networks, male-dominated networks as well as women’s networks, networks formed for the purpose of working with gender issues as well as networks with unintended gendered consequences. The papers on this panel treat subjects as varied as norm diffusion at the US municipal level, policy-making in US state legislatures, leadership change in the Brazilian Workers’ Party and clientelist brokers in Argentina. They engage with the intersection between gender, institutions and networks from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, providing new insights into the dynamics of male over-representation and female under-representation around the world.

Title	Details
The Diffusion of CEDAW in the Municipal Context - A Case Study of the Cities for CEDAW Campaign	View Paper Details
Just Amongst Us: Women’s Caucuses, Collaboration, and Policy Making in U.S. State Legislatures	View Paper Details
Disrupting the Good Ole Boys’ Club: Leadership Change and Inclusivity in the Brazilian Workers’ Party	View Paper Details
The Gender Gap in Clientelism: Lessons from the Argentine Case	View Paper Details
The Development of Anti-trafficking Institutions and Networks in Eastern Europe: A Feminist Approach?	View Paper Details