Pinning the Butterfly: Women, Blue-Collar and Ethnic Minority MPs vis-à-vis Parliamentary Norms and the Parliamentary Role of the Group Representative

• Autores: Karen Celis, Bram Wauters
• Localización: The Journal of legislative studies, ISSN 1357-2334, Vol. 16, Nº. 3, 2010 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Ceremony and Ritual in Parliament), págs. 380-393
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This article deals with the apparent contradiction between, on the one hand, parliaments as envisaged by neo-institutionalists as stable and stabilising institutions and, on the other hand, the societal desire to diversify political personnel and to open up political decision-making processes to include group interests that were under-represented in the past. To answer the question whether and to what extent norms have changed to embrace diversity in parliament, the authors investigate everyday rituals, including role behaviour. Based on a focus group interview and a series of individual interviews with women, ethnic minority and blue-collar MPs in the Belgian Chamber, the article concludes that these groups are more likely to adapt themselves than to change parliamentary norms. Regarding the role of the group representative, the major finding is that it cannot be seen as a sign of parliament truly and positively embracing diversity. Moreover, it might even be interpreted as a strategy to address the request for diversity without changing existing power relations.