Introduction
In their attempt to identify appropriate research approaches in politics, feminists have often criticized traditional social science methodologies. In her article on women and democracy and the patriarchal welfare state, Carole Pateman raises the issue of the highly patriarchal political scene. She indicates that the positive and social democratic perspective is that a welfare state provides social meaning and equal worth to the political and juridical rights of all citizens. A second, more pessimistic, view on the welfare state, according to Pateman (1987) is that it provides the government with new approaches to exercising power over and governing the working class citizens. Proponents of both views have failed to accept the gender biased manner in which the welfare state is constructed. Its patriarchal framework is rarely underlined. Undoubtedly, there is no clear feminist approach in political analysis. There is a call for less patriarchal political analysis methodologies by feminists in the political sphere. However, they have not managed to achieve a clear feminist framework for that purpose because the odds are stacked against them. A feminist framework could reveal and clarify how gender influences or determines the sociopolitical structures and relationships of power as well as the differential social, political, or economic effects that emerge from these structures and relationships. Whereas a feminist approach may focus particularly on women, it would not exclude concerns about society as a whole or the environment. The understanding of gender divisions in the political sphere implies examining both men and women from a feministic mindset, with special emphasis on the subordination of women and the pursuit of gender equality in political thought (Beneria, 2003). This paper advances the argument that a distinctly feminist approach to political analysis does not exist despite there being numerous reasons to show that it should exist.
Undoubtedly, the highly patriarchal political sphere has made it almost impossible for a distinct feminist perspective in matters of political analysis. Patriarchy, according to Code (2003), is the system in which females are regarded as subordinate to men with regards to status and power. It is based on the understanding that it is proper for men to command and women to obey their commands. Such reasoning is firmly planted on the patriarchal roots that date as far back as Aristotle’s assertion that women have a biological inferiority reflected in their reasoning capabilities. The Judaeo-Christian world and other religions further perpetuated such thinking. In supporting the claim made in this paper, it is imperative to show the absence of a distinct feminist perspective in political analysis. First, there is a deficiency of feminist political scientists who show enough interest in the methodological issues used in political research (Randall, 1991). Instead, the feminists in political science have focused their energy on questioning how their discipline understands the behavioral forms, nature, and location of politics (Randall, 1991). It is a well-known fact that there is already a shortage of women as key players in the political arena such as diplomats, policymakers, legislators, heads of government, and academic heads in various institutions. In such settings, most personalities are males with strong patriarchal backgrounds. To make matters worse, as noted by Randall (1991), the few women that exist in these circles of political discourse and research do not shed light on the methodological issues that persist in political research. As a result, discussions regarding politics and crucial policies remain largely constrained by people who do not show adequate consideration of women’s roles in politics. There is clear proof that the political landscape would benefit considerably from the added viewpoints that women and feminists would contribute in an all-inclusive research framework. Feminists have failed to make considerable impact in the political arena also because of the institutional disadvantages that they face in their quest to reach positions of influence. For example, political offices are highly patriarchal because of the requirements or selection criteria that they demand. For example, a candidate seeking political office will often include military service as an added bonus in their leadership experience and character descriptions. Women are usually at a disadvantage in this regard because they generally have less military service qualifications than their male counterparts. Such flawed selection criteria also permeate into discussions regarding the candidates that are most suited to take office. Such discussions ignore the fact that women are gifted in other aspects of life that reflect the same values in them as military service would do for men. Women feminists face hurdles in their quest to reach positions of political influence. In addition, the few that access these positions have failed to highlight the need for distinct feminist approaches in political analysis and research.
Secondly, there is a shortage of feminist-influenced education material that trains individuals, particularly in the political field, to recognize the value of adopting gender balance in political decision-making and discourse. Despite the existence of a rich history of feminism, the values of the feminist movement have not been translated successfully into education systems, particularly in political science. This absence of training material helps to perpetuate patriarchy in the political sphere and to recognize feminist perspectives while making important decisions or in political analyses. Lorraine Code, while examining the shortage of feminist ideas in international relations, for example, notes that most political theories lack female perspectives (Code, 2003). She calls for an approach that challenges the norm and questioning its objectivity. There is a gendered construction of knowledge, according to Code (2003). Women’s voices are marginalized. Women have knowledge, experiences and perspectives that should be reflected in political science curricula. However, they are systematically ignored. In political science, the wisdom and intellect of women have not been recognized accordingly in theory. In political science, there are many paradigms and it is shocking to discover that they do not make any recognition of women’s importance, leading to many gaps and distortions in the system. Male scholars in political science have established conceptual and theoretical frameworks while ignoring the contribution that women have made, and continue to make. As a result of the absence of these frameworks, the various paradigms of political science remain incomplete. In some cases, they have purposely distorted the value of women scholarship. This problem in political scholarship breeds patriarchy, which in turn rejects feminist approaches in political analysis.
There are various reasons why there should be a distinctly feminist approach to political analysis. First, there are clear disparities in access to social, cultural, economic opportunities between men and women. Such disparities can only be addressed by the political class within the political structures with which their positions have provided them. The role of research and distinct feminist methodologies in this process cannot be underestimated. For example, the research must explore the disparities using methodological frameworks that are statistically acceptable. Disparities exist in education, job market, access to healthcare, etc (Pew Research Center, 2012). Such disparities should be part of political analyses so that they can inform decision-making and policy changes. In the welfare state, women are the majority recipients of the bulk of the welfare benefits. For example, women are two times more likely than men to have received food stamps at a point in their lives (23% versus 12%) (Pew Research Center, 2012). Also, women are more likely to receive Medicare benefits than men. A major reason why women are more likely to receive welfare than men is that they are more likely than men to experience poverty (Pew Research Center, 2012). To exacerbate the problem, women have less access to job opportunities than men according to the World Bank (2012). Since politics contributes significantly to the perpetuation or bridging of gender gaps with regards to economic opportunities, it is clear that there is a need for the development of a distinct feminist framework for inclusion in the political analysis. It is clearly that women are highly disadvantaged in society from a socioeconomic standpoint (World Bank, 2012). Feminists should make strategic efforts to influence political research in a systematic manner. They can achieve this objective by devising distinct methodological approaches that will influence positive change.
Secondly, the need for feminist approaches in political research and analysis is underlined by the fact that women make up the largest chunk of the population. As a result, their issues should be attended to with the same dedication as that accorded to men, if not more. According to Marsh & Stoker (2010), feminism is a doctrine that focuses on the emancipation of women, but also includes other aspects of women’s life including their development, roles in social, cultural, and political affairs as well as their rights and freedoms. Despite their larger number in comparison to men, the political and social structure is built in a manner that does not place women at par with men in societal affairs such as work in the home setting, responsibilities in care-giving and decision-making etc. (Nitisha, 2015). These observations indicate that adoption of feminist approaches in political thought will have far-reaching benefits that affect not only women but also the society in general. Marsh & Stoker (2010) imply that since women form more than half of the population, social progress can never emerge without the spontaneous and complete participation of women. Women, however, are shackled by unattended pressing issues such as power relations within the home. For example, household work is not recognized as labor. As such, women spend a lot of time doing the bulk of the household chores such as cooking and cleaning, thereby mission out on recognized labor opportunities that men enjoy. The failure to recognize household work as labor places woman at a disadvantage not only when looking for job opportunities, but also when running for political office against men who have accrued recognized labor as experience (Marsh & Stoker, 2010). Also, in many societies, marital rape, and domestic violence are not recognized as crimes. This factor contributes to the exploitation of women. Another point that underlines the absence of a distinct feminist perspective in political analysis is the widespread acceptance of women as the primary caregivers. These factors point to the necessity of a deliberate shift in political research methodologies to incorporate feminist approaches.
Thirdly, despite the gradual increase in the number of women running for political office within the last decade, political discourses have remained largely one-sided on gender. However, such women find themselves shackled by the highly patriarchal political discourses and analyses because they lack the proper frameworks within which to express themselves or advance their feminist agenda. Despite the fact that women have proven themselves to have the same potential for leadership and intellect as men, their participation in politics has not translated to significant gains in exposing feminist perspectives to societal issues. The role of women in policy-making and management remains far below expectations, where only a few women who win elections express their ideas in legislative processes (Randall, 1991). In developing countries, the situation is worse. Their experiences, ideas, and intellect are not reflected in decisions and policies. The most defining component of the feminist political theory is its dedication to enlarging the scope of politics. The feminist theory implies that politics is highly personal. This statement means that politics should be formed and analyzed in the personal and private. With regards to women, political discourse should explore their everyday experiences of inequality and subordination not only in their jobs but also at home. Since the days of Aristotle, the political realm has been the realm within which social institutions have been challenged and changed. In politics, the principles that guide human life should be examined with the particularities of those individual lives (Randall, 1991). However, politics has often dwelled only on public life in keeping with Aristotle’s definition of politics as “the polis affairs.” Within this definition, the private realm, the realm of women, was excluded in political thought up until the 20th century. There should be a distinct framework in political analyses and discourse to shed light on the “private” realm of women, family, work as well as the power relations involved.
Fourthly, women are almost always affected by key policies and politics. As such, the voice of feminism and its collective intentions should be reflected in political research and analyses. According to Randall (1991), the life options of women are always in question when major legislations are in contention. For example, in prohibitions on birth control, issues of effective protection for women against rape and domestic violence, and the controversies of abortion, women should make their voices heard more than men. In this regard, the political research methodologies that inform the policy-makers should be influenced considerably by feminist approaches (Randall, 1991). For example, the study samples should be representative enough and statistically reflective of the wishes of the women because they are more affected by such legislations than men. As a result of these observations, women must participate considerably in developing political research frameworks that provide them with a representative voice in political analyses especially on issues that affect them the most (Randall, 1991).
A fifth reason why a feminist approach is crucial to political analysis is that it provides space for new ideas in political analysis. According to Hay (2002), traditionally, there has been very limited space in political science as well as international relations. For people who have accepted a predictive science in political matters, ideas have not been welcome because they challenge the status quo. Such people have always assumed that the behavior of others who have ideas is predictable by the context in which they exist (Hay, 2002). The assumption is that if these actors with ideas are rational, in any given context there is only one way for them to act rationally in their pursuit of a given set of preferences (Hay, 2002). An analysis of the context, therefore, can provide one with all they need to predict political behavior as well as outcomes. In such schema, there is no room for ideas. According to Hay (2002), feminism is a way through which belief systems such as rationalism, which is largely responsible for the gender inequalities for which feminism exists, can be eliminated. There is a need to replace such belief systems with empirical study or quantification (Hay, 2002). An empirical study in political science is crucial to the process of establishing balanced systems and developing gender parity in many aspects of life (Hay, 2002). Undoubtedly, empirical approaches that are influenced considerably by feminism will help disrupt political thought and not only introduce inclusiveness but also impact the discipline positively (Hay, 2002). Such observations underline the importance of having feminist approaches in political analysis.
Conclusion
According to Pateman (1987), a welfare state provides social meaning and equal worth to the political and juridical rights of all citizens. In spite of this fact, the feminist movement has suffered from the lack of a distinct feminist approach in political analysis. This lack of a voice is reflected in the making of gender-biased policies and decisions. The political system continues to be society’s most important vehicle for policy change and positive legislation. However, the lack of a distinct feminist approach is reflected in a few negative aspects. First, there is a deficiency of feminist political scientists showing enough interest in the methodological issues that underpin political research (Randall, 1991). Instead, feminists in political science have focused their energy on questioning how their discipline understands the behavioral forms, nature, and location of politics (Randall, 1991). Secondly, there is a shortage of education material that trains individuals, particularly in the political field, to recognize gender and the need to have gender balance in political discourse and policy. This lack of education material shows that the effects of feminism have not permeated political science education circles to impact the next generation of policy-makers and legislators. As a result, such professionals grow into their careers with the same patriarchal mindset as their predecessors. Ultimately political research remains largely non-inclusive. There are various reasons why there is a need for a feminist approach to political analysis. First, there are clear gender gaps in the access to social, cultural, economic opportunities. Such gaps can only be bridged efficiently by the political class within the political structures with which their positions have provided them. The role of distinct feminist methodologies in this process cannot be underestimated. Undoubtedly, research must be used to explore the disparities using methodological frameworks that are statistically acceptable. Secondly, women issues should be attended to with the same dedication as that accorded to men, if not more because they make up slightly more than half of the population. Thirdly, women have proven themselves to have the same potential for leadership and intellect as men yet they are shackled by patriarchal systems. Fourthly, women are almost always affected by key policies and politics. As such, they should be included in research that underpins such policies. Fifthly, a feminist approach provides space for new ideas. This space is crucial to eradicating the gender imbalances that exist. Ultimately, one cannot underestimate the need for a distinct feminist approach to political analysis.
References
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