Kulturowe uwarunkowania udziału kobiet w polityce

Abstract

On the one hand, the emphasis on equal rights between women and men has resulted in women’s occupying important positions in the state more frequently. On the other hand, however, politics is still an area where, in the social consciousness, it is men who are suited best for the job. The relatively low representation of women in political structures is largely a consequence of cultural factors. The dominance of men in politics is due to a tradition according to which a woman is mainly associated with the domestic sphere, and the public sphere belongs to men. The persistence of the described state of affairs is a consequence of the mechanism of cultural reproduction which reproduces existing social inequalities in a disguised manner. The road to equal rights in the world of politics is a long and tedious one because of the persistence of beliefs of culturally defined concepts of femininity and masculinity. In order to succeed, one needs other measures than merely legislative regulations. It is crucial that they be reflected in practice as well. It seems that the image of politicians who are respectful for each other and strive together for the common good, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, is the most effective way to change the social beliefs about the profession of a politician.