Samenvatting
This thesis uses a constructivist approach, following the conceptual framework of Stuart Hall, to critically reassess the relation between identity and representation. This often very conceptual debate has been going on within political sciences, but here an anthropological perspective is used to focus on the experiences of politicians. This approach enriches the theoretical debate, whilst also providing insight into the specific case. The focus of this thesis has been the political context of the Brussels capital region. Specifically, left-wing, and Dutch-speaking parties (Vooruit, Groen and PVDA) have been included in this study to see how they represent diversity, both within their party and how they emit this to the broader societal diversity. The two research questions fore-fronted here are:1. In what way does the (ethnic) identity of a politician influence their political work?
2. How do left-wing political parties deal with representing diversity?
The main data source used to answer these questions were a series of interviews conducted with politicians from the three included parties. Additional data was also used, such as electoral lists and preference votes, to put their experiences into context. From the collected data, 4 thematic dimensions arose. The main dimensions through which representational acts are structured in Brussels are a linguistic, ethnic, ideological, and affective dimension. In the first two dimensions, personal characteristics of language use and ethnic background are placed within a larger societal context in which these features get meaning. Thereafter, politicians can adopt a particular stance to self-identify with these features or take distance from them. The latter two dimensions, ideology and the affective dimension, are related to the ability to reflect the material reality and to be touched by it. In both dimensions, representational acts are strengthened when effective chains of equivalence or linkages can be formed between the politician and issues or interests. These dimensions are often intertwined, showing the intricate processes of social construction that take place within representation. This thesis has delivered grounded data, to support the conclusion that there is no one-on-one relation between identity and representation. Rather, representation should be redefined as a social process of construction in which the subject-position of the researcher, together with contextual factors, influences the representational acts.
| Datum prijs | 9 jul 2023 |
|---|---|
| Originele taal | English |
| Begeleider | Nadia Fadil (Promotor) |