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13 Electoral Democracy

  • Claire McGing
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De Gruyter Handbook of Feminist Political Geography
This chapter is in the book De Gruyter Handbook of Feminist Political Geography

Abstract

Despite the central role of gender relations in shaping electoral politics, electoral geography has largely overlooked gender and feminist perspectives, as well as related methodological approaches. When gender is considered, it is typically treated as a binary variable rather than as a dynamic process influencing all aspects of electoral democracy. The concept of intersectionality and its relevance to election contests is even more neglected in the field. This gap stands in contrast to political science, where a substantial body of literature on ‘women in politics’ has emerged, and to other areas of political and human geography, where feminist perspectives have gained significant traction.

This chapter traces electoral geography’s ‘gender problem’ to three main areas: who (the scholarly community), what (thematic focus), and how (methodological approaches). It highlights the significant epistemological and methodological differences between electoral geography and feminist political geography in their approaches to gender analysis. Drawing on these insights, the chapter weaves together key strands of feminist electoral studies, specifically gender and voting behavior, and women’s political representation, to outline pathways for future research in feminist electoral geography.

Abstract

Despite the central role of gender relations in shaping electoral politics, electoral geography has largely overlooked gender and feminist perspectives, as well as related methodological approaches. When gender is considered, it is typically treated as a binary variable rather than as a dynamic process influencing all aspects of electoral democracy. The concept of intersectionality and its relevance to election contests is even more neglected in the field. This gap stands in contrast to political science, where a substantial body of literature on ‘women in politics’ has emerged, and to other areas of political and human geography, where feminist perspectives have gained significant traction.

This chapter traces electoral geography’s ‘gender problem’ to three main areas: who (the scholarly community), what (thematic focus), and how (methodological approaches). It highlights the significant epistemological and methodological differences between electoral geography and feminist political geography in their approaches to gender analysis. Drawing on these insights, the chapter weaves together key strands of feminist electoral studies, specifically gender and voting behavior, and women’s political representation, to outline pathways for future research in feminist electoral geography.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements
  3. Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction 1
  5. Part I: Foundations
  6. 2 The Feminist Geography Of Feminist Political Geography 18
  7. 3 Feminist Geopolitics 33
  8. 4 Intimate Geopolitics 51
  9. 5 Nationalism 65
  10. 6 De/coloniality 77
  11. 7 Decolonizing Feminist Geopolitics 89
  12. 8 Trauma 103
  13. 9 Peace 115
  14. Part II: Critical Interventions
  15. 10 Black Futurity 129
  16. 11 Racial Capitalism 141
  17. 12 Populism 153
  18. 13 Electoral Democracy 165
  19. 14 Crip Geographies 177
  20. 15 Queer Geographies 189
  21. 16 Trans Geographies 201
  22. 17 Cuerpo-Territorio 213
  23. 18 Geographies Of Technology 227
  24. 19 More-Than-Human Geographies 239
  25. 20 Austerity 251
  26. 21 Labor 263
  27. 22 Health 275
  28. 23 Environmental Justice 287
  29. Part III: Spaces
  30. 24 Territory 303
  31. 25 The Nation-State 315
  32. 26 The Border 329
  33. 27 Spaces Of Refuge And Asylum 341
  34. 28 The Body 353
  35. 29 Home 367
  36. 30 The Workplace 379
  37. 31 The City 391
  38. 32 The Rural 403
  39. 33 The Ocean 415
  40. 34 The Ship 427
  41. 35 Public Transport 439
  42. 36 Infrastructure 451
  43. 37 The Prison 461
  44. 38 Food 475
  45. Part IV: Methodologies
  46. 39 Postcolonial Positionality 487
  47. 40 Digital Methods And Community-Engaged Research 499
  48. 41 Fieldwork 511
  49. 42 Ethnography 525
  50. 43 Creative Political Geography 537
  51. 44 Mobile Methods 549
  52. 45 Life Histories 563
  53. 46 Black Feminist Literary Methods 575
  54. 47 Historical Approaches 587
  55. List of Contributors 599
  56. Index
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111289274-014

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements
  3. Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction 1
  5. Part I: Foundations
  6. 2 The Feminist Geography Of Feminist Political Geography 18
  7. 3 Feminist Geopolitics 33
  8. 4 Intimate Geopolitics 51
  9. 5 Nationalism 65
  10. 6 De/coloniality 77
  11. 7 Decolonizing Feminist Geopolitics 89
  12. 8 Trauma 103
  13. 9 Peace 115
  14. Part II: Critical Interventions
  15. 10 Black Futurity 129
  16. 11 Racial Capitalism 141
  17. 12 Populism 153
  18. 13 Electoral Democracy 165
  19. 14 Crip Geographies 177
  20. 15 Queer Geographies 189
  21. 16 Trans Geographies 201
  22. 17 Cuerpo-Territorio 213
  23. 18 Geographies Of Technology 227
  24. 19 More-Than-Human Geographies 239
  25. 20 Austerity 251
  26. 21 Labor 263
  27. 22 Health 275
  28. 23 Environmental Justice 287
  29. Part III: Spaces
  30. 24 Territory 303
  31. 25 The Nation-State 315
  32. 26 The Border 329
  33. 27 Spaces Of Refuge And Asylum 341
  34. 28 The Body 353
  35. 29 Home 367
  36. 30 The Workplace 379
  37. 31 The City 391
  38. 32 The Rural 403
  39. 33 The Ocean 415
  40. 34 The Ship 427
  41. 35 Public Transport 439
  42. 36 Infrastructure 451
  43. 37 The Prison 461
  44. 38 Food 475
  45. Part IV: Methodologies
  46. 39 Postcolonial Positionality 487
  47. 40 Digital Methods And Community-Engaged Research 499
  48. 41 Fieldwork 511
  49. 42 Ethnography 525
  50. 43 Creative Political Geography 537
  51. 44 Mobile Methods 549
  52. 45 Life Histories 563
  53. 46 Black Feminist Literary Methods 575
  54. 47 Historical Approaches 587
  55. List of Contributors 599
  56. Index
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