Rainbow Murray
Biographic Data
| ID | 3745691 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rainbow Murray |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rainbow |
| FAMILY NAME | Murray |
| SIGNATURE | MURRAY R |
| AFFILIATIONS | Queen Mary University of London |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1191-2331 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 29 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 494 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 29 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2004 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 12 |
Gendered participation and conduct in parliamentary debates
Complex, Conditional, and Contested
Measuring the relationship between descriptive and substantive representation presents empirical and theoretical challenges. This article makes a distinctive empirical contribution that draws on the latest theoretical developments on the substantive representation of women (SRW). I provide an explorative qualitative analysis of representative claims in French parliamentary debates over a twenty-year period. I focus on three core questions: who is…
The substantive representation of men
Men's numerical over‐representation in politics leads to complacency regarding their substantive representation. Yet the men in politics are not descriptively representative of most men and are drawn disproportionately from the most socially privileged groups. Building on theories of representation, intersectionality and masculinities, I argue that men have gendered representational needs that are not adequately met. Power structures among men le…
Bringing men and masculinities into political science
Most politicians are men, yet there is a surprising lack of focus within political science on the causes and consequences of male dominance. This article outlines how political science could benefit from greater engagement with scholarship on men and masculinities. The concept of ‘political masculinities’ has focused on the importance of ‘the political’ to masculinities scholarship; we argue for extending this concept to analyse men and masculini…
It’s a rich man’s world
Why is politics dominated by wealthy men, and how do gendered and class barriers to running for office intersect? This article addresses these questions using the UK as a case study. Drawing on interview data, I highlight the formal and informal institutions that shape the class and glass ceilings in electoral politics. I identify how the high personal costs of running for office, especially in relation to candidates’ time, present a barrier to t…
Mariette Sineau – La Force du nombre (2008)
Explaining Gender Gaps in Legislative Committees
Legislative committees are often the epicenter of parliamentary influence, so their composition matters. Men are widely overrepresented in prestigious, influential committees, with women concentrated in low-status committees. These gender gaps have repercussions for power, visibility, careers, and policy outcomes. Yet the puzzle of why committees are gendered remains unsolved. Combining insights from quantitative and qualitative methods, we offer…
Critical Perspectives on Men and Masculinities in Politics
The purpose of these Critical Perspectives is to consider gender gaps in politics with a specific focus on men, as opposed to the traditional focus on women. The study of gender and politics implies the gendered study of both sexes, yet very little scholarship within this large body of research has men as its primary object of study. We argue that a critical focus on men is necessary to understand the nature of male dominance, the way that male p…
Revisiting Forms of Representation by Critically Examining Men
Research on gender and politics has made use of Pitkin's (1967) distinction between descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation to conceptualize and understand the different facets of women's underrepresentation and misrepresentation. The corresponding overrepresentation of men has seldom been explicitly recognized in this literature. We explore what the critical study of men and masculinities could contribute to the study of different …
The Political Representation of Ethnic Minority Women in France
This article nuances the argument that ethnic minority women experience cumulative disadvantage within politics. Drawing on the French case study, I demonstrate a complex relationship between gender and ethnicity. The gender parity movement saw ethnicity as competing with gender and rejected claims for ethnic minority representation, but still drew attention to the homogeneity of French politics. Descriptive representation of minority women is no…
What Makes a Good Politician? Reassessing the Criteria Used for Political Recruitment
Certain societal groups are significantly overrepresented within politics, including men, ethnic majority groups, and socioeconomic elites. This has fueled debates regarding meritocracy within political recruitment. While meritocracy is desirable, its definition and measurement are contested. The criteria used in theoretical and empirical academic studies differ from those of political parties and voters, as discussed below. Furthermore, there is…
Quotas for Men
Gender quotas traditionally focus on the underrepresentation of women. Conceiving of quotas in this way perpetuates the status of men as the norm and women as the "other." Women are subject to heavy scrutiny of their qualifications and competence, whereas men's credentials go unchallenged. This article calls for a normative shift in the problem of overrepresentation, arguing that the quality of representation is negatively affected by having too …
Quotas, Citizens, and Norms of Representation
The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Leverhulme Trust, who funded this research via a Research Fellowship grant
French Lesson
France and the UK both have parliaments with one MP per constituency. This electoral system is known not to be conducive to women's representation, and both countries have struggled with low proportions of women in parliament. France's response was to introduce a gender parity law in 2000. Since then, the number of women in the French parliament has almost doubled, but still remains low by European standards and is far from parity. This article c…
Parity in France
As the world's first country to adopt a ‘parity’ quota, France could be considered an example of the growing phenomenon of quotas as a ‘fast track’ solution to the problem of women's under-representation. French universalism had impeded a more ‘incremental track’ to gender equality whilst placing a constitutional ban on quotas. The design of ‘parity’ as a means of overcoming these hurdles was both normative and pragmatic. Parity could be consider…
Why Are Gender Quotas Adopted? Party Pragmatism and Parity in France
The passage of electoral gender quotas raises questions about why male elites would support policies that seemingly go against their self-interests. Recent work on France suggests that quota adoption is self-interested because male legislators benefit from alleged voter bias against female candidates. This article evaluates this explanation as a means for understanding quota adoption globally. It argues that the key actors are not legislators but…
Progress But Still No PrÃ(c)sidente
Several women vied to be elected France's new president in 2012. These included Ségolène Royal, former Socialist presidential candidate in 2007, and Martine Aubry, Socialist party leader. Both these women were defeated by Fran?ois Hollande in the Socialist primary. In the main election, Marine le Pen garnered many headlines as the new leader of the controversial far-right party, the Front national. This article considers the campaigns and the med…
Political data in 2010
Parties, Gender Quotas and Candidate Selection in France
Gender quotas are a growing worldwide phenomenon, yet their variable implementation remains under-researched. Using the prominent case study of France this book approaches quotas from the perspective
Women in French Politics
Linear Trajectories or Vicious Circles? The Causes and Consequences of Gendered Career Paths in the National Assembly
Despite ‘parity’, various factors have contributed to the low proportion of women within the National Assembly. Men and women are still following different career paths to national office, with women facing numerous obstacles along the way. Women are less likely to accede to executive positions in local office, and tend to enter politics slightly later in life, perhaps due to a greater share of domestic obligations. Men are more likely to enjoy f…
Second Among Unequals? A Study of Whether France's “Quota Women” are Up to the Job
The introduction of France's “parity” law in 2000 raised fears of electing inferior women candidates via a gender quota. France has since held two legislative elections, with the proportion of women in parliament rising from 10.9% to 12.3% in 2002, and 18.5% in 2007. These rises permit an empirical evaluation of whether “quota women” measure up to those elected without a quota. New women parliamentarians are compared to their male counterparts an…
Second Among Unequals? A Study of Whether France's “Quota Women” are Up to the Job – Erratum
Was 2007 a Landmark or a Let‐down for Women's Political Representation in France
After a chronic history of under‐representation for women in France, a number of developments in 2007 appeared to offer new prospects for women politicians. Ségolène Royal was the first credible woman candidate to contend a presidential election; the second application of the ‘parity’ law led to the election of record numbers of women to the French Parliament; and several women were appointed to key positions in the post‐election government. This…
How a High Proportion of Candidates Becomes a Low Proportion of Députées
Quotas for Men
Gender quotas traditionally focus on the underrepresentation of women. Conceiving of quotas in this way perpetuates the status of men as the norm and women as the "other." Women are subject to heavy scrutiny of their qualifications and competence, whereas men's credentials go unchallenged. This article calls for a normative shift in the problem of overrepresentation, arguing that the quality of representation is negatively affected by having too …
Why Are Gender Quotas Adopted? Party Pragmatism and Parity in France
The passage of electoral gender quotas raises questions about why male elites would support policies that seemingly go against their self-interests. Recent work on France suggests that quota adoption is self-interested because male legislators benefit from alleged voter bias against female candidates. This article evaluates this explanation as a means for understanding quota adoption globally. It argues that the key actors are not legislators but…
Second Among Unequals? A Study of Whether France's “Quota Women” are Up to the Job
The introduction of France's “parity” law in 2000 raised fears of electing inferior women candidates via a gender quota. France has since held two legislative elections, with the proportion of women in parliament rising from 10.9% to 12.3% in 2002, and 18.5% in 2007. These rises permit an empirical evaluation of whether “quota women” measure up to those elected without a quota. New women parliamentarians are compared to their male counterparts an…
The Power of Sex and Incumbency
In France's 2002 legislative elections, parties spectacularly failed to respect the `parity' requirement of an equal number of male and female candidates. Women remained a minority, especially in safe seats, where heavy priority was given to the (usually male) incumbents. Parties defended this practice, claiming that it was better to field incumbents than newcomers, and that fielding a woman might cost them the seat. Although these claims were st…
The Political Representation of Ethnic Minority Women in France
This article nuances the argument that ethnic minority women experience cumulative disadvantage within politics. Drawing on the French case study, I demonstrate a complex relationship between gender and ethnicity. The gender parity movement saw ethnicity as competing with gender and rejected claims for ethnic minority representation, but still drew attention to the homogeneity of French politics. Descriptive representation of minority women is no…
Why Didn't Parity Work? A Closer Examination of the 2002 Election Results
Parity in France
As the world's first country to adopt a ‘parity’ quota, France could be considered an example of the growing phenomenon of quotas as a ‘fast track’ solution to the problem of women's under-representation. French universalism had impeded a more ‘incremental track’ to gender equality whilst placing a constitutional ban on quotas. The design of ‘parity’ as a means of overcoming these hurdles was both normative and pragmatic. Parity could be consider…
It’s a rich man’s world
Why is politics dominated by wealthy men, and how do gendered and class barriers to running for office intersect? This article addresses these questions using the UK as a case study. Drawing on interview data, I highlight the formal and informal institutions that shape the class and glass ceilings in electoral politics. I identify how the high personal costs of running for office, especially in relation to candidates’ time, present a barrier to t…
Explaining Gender Gaps in Legislative Committees
Legislative committees are often the epicenter of parliamentary influence, so their composition matters. Men are widely overrepresented in prestigious, influential committees, with women concentrated in low-status committees. These gender gaps have repercussions for power, visibility, careers, and policy outcomes. Yet the puzzle of why committees are gendered remains unsolved. Combining insights from quantitative and qualitative methods, we offer…
What Makes a Good Politician? Reassessing the Criteria Used for Political Recruitment
Certain societal groups are significantly overrepresented within politics, including men, ethnic majority groups, and socioeconomic elites. This has fueled debates regarding meritocracy within political recruitment. While meritocracy is desirable, its definition and measurement are contested. The criteria used in theoretical and empirical academic studies differ from those of political parties and voters, as discussed below. Furthermore, there is…
Linear Trajectories or Vicious Circles? The Causes and Consequences of Gendered Career Paths in the National Assembly
Despite ‘parity’, various factors have contributed to the low proportion of women within the National Assembly. Men and women are still following different career paths to national office, with women facing numerous obstacles along the way. Women are less likely to accede to executive positions in local office, and tend to enter politics slightly later in life, perhaps due to a greater share of domestic obligations. Men are more likely to enjoy f…
Revisiting Forms of Representation by Critically Examining Men
Research on gender and politics has made use of Pitkin's (1967) distinction between descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation to conceptualize and understand the different facets of women's underrepresentation and misrepresentation. The corresponding overrepresentation of men has seldom been explicitly recognized in this literature. We explore what the critical study of men and masculinities could contribute to the study of different …
Was 2007 a Landmark or a Let‐down for Women's Political Representation in France
After a chronic history of under‐representation for women in France, a number of developments in 2007 appeared to offer new prospects for women politicians. Ségolène Royal was the first credible woman candidate to contend a presidential election; the second application of the ‘parity’ law led to the election of record numbers of women to the French Parliament; and several women were appointed to key positions in the post‐election government. This…
Critical Perspectives on Men and Masculinities in Politics
The purpose of these Critical Perspectives is to consider gender gaps in politics with a specific focus on men, as opposed to the traditional focus on women. The study of gender and politics implies the gendered study of both sexes, yet very little scholarship within this large body of research has men as its primary object of study. We argue that a critical focus on men is necessary to understand the nature of male dominance, the way that male p…
Quotas, Citizens, and Norms of Representation
The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Leverhulme Trust, who funded this research via a Research Fellowship grant
Political data in 2010
Bringing men and masculinities into political science
Most politicians are men, yet there is a surprising lack of focus within political science on the causes and consequences of male dominance. This article outlines how political science could benefit from greater engagement with scholarship on men and masculinities. The concept of ‘political masculinities’ has focused on the importance of ‘the political’ to masculinities scholarship; we argue for extending this concept to analyse men and masculini…
Second Among Unequals? A Study of Whether France's “Quota Women” are Up to the Job – Erratum
The substantive representation of men
Men's numerical over‐representation in politics leads to complacency regarding their substantive representation. Yet the men in politics are not descriptively representative of most men and are drawn disproportionately from the most socially privileged groups. Building on theories of representation, intersectionality and masculinities, I argue that men have gendered representational needs that are not adequately met. Power structures among men le…
French Lesson
France and the UK both have parliaments with one MP per constituency. This electoral system is known not to be conducive to women's representation, and both countries have struggled with low proportions of women in parliament. France's response was to introduce a gender parity law in 2000. Since then, the number of women in the French parliament has almost doubled, but still remains low by European standards and is far from parity. This article c…
Progress But Still No PrÃ(c)sidente
Several women vied to be elected France's new president in 2012. These included Ségolène Royal, former Socialist presidential candidate in 2007, and Martine Aubry, Socialist party leader. Both these women were defeated by Fran?ois Hollande in the Socialist primary. In the main election, Marine le Pen garnered many headlines as the new leader of the controversial far-right party, the Front national. This article considers the campaigns and the med…
Fifty Years of Feminising France's Fifth Republic
For 50 years, women have been battling against the hostile institutions of the Fifth Republic. Despite barriers such as a majoritarian electoral system and presidentialisation, women have been making incremental gains in the political arena. The breakthrough came in the 1970s when politicians began to appreciate the benefits of appealing directly to women voters with policies such as the legalisation of abortion. The Socialist governments of the …
Why Didn't Parity Work? A Closer Examination of the 2002 Election Results
How a High Proportion of Candidates Becomes a Low Proportion of Députées
Introduction
Fifty Years of Feminising France's Fifth Republic
For 50 years, women have been battling against the hostile institutions of the Fifth Republic. Despite barriers such as a majoritarian electoral system and presidentialisation, women have been making incremental gains in the political arena. The breakthrough came in the 1970s when politicians began to appreciate the benefits of appealing directly to women voters with policies such as the legalisation of abortion. The Socialist governments of the …
The Power of Sex and Incumbency
In France's 2002 legislative elections, parties spectacularly failed to respect the `parity' requirement of an equal number of male and female candidates. Women remained a minority, especially in safe seats, where heavy priority was given to the (usually male) incumbents. Parties defended this practice, claiming that it was better to field incumbents than newcomers, and that fielding a woman might cost them the seat. Although these claims were st…
Was 2007 a Landmark or a Let‐down for Women's Political Representation in France
After a chronic history of under‐representation for women in France, a number of developments in 2007 appeared to offer new prospects for women politicians. Ségolène Royal was the first credible woman candidate to contend a presidential election; the second application of the ‘parity’ law led to the election of record numbers of women to the French Parliament; and several women were appointed to key positions in the post‐election government. This…
Parties, Gender Quotas and Candidate Selection in France
Gender quotas are a growing worldwide phenomenon, yet their variable implementation remains under-researched. Using the prominent case study of France this book approaches quotas from the perspective
Women in French Politics
Linear Trajectories or Vicious Circles? The Causes and Consequences of Gendered Career Paths in the National Assembly
Despite ‘parity’, various factors have contributed to the low proportion of women within the National Assembly. Men and women are still following different career paths to national office, with women facing numerous obstacles along the way. Women are less likely to accede to executive positions in local office, and tend to enter politics slightly later in life, perhaps due to a greater share of domestic obligations. Men are more likely to enjoy f…
Second Among Unequals? A Study of Whether France's “Quota Women” are Up to the Job
The introduction of France's “parity” law in 2000 raised fears of electing inferior women candidates via a gender quota. France has since held two legislative elections, with the proportion of women in parliament rising from 10.9% to 12.3% in 2002, and 18.5% in 2007. These rises permit an empirical evaluation of whether “quota women” measure up to those elected without a quota. New women parliamentarians are compared to their male counterparts an…
Second Among Unequals? A Study of Whether France's “Quota Women” are Up to the Job – Erratum
Political data in 2010
French Lesson
France and the UK both have parliaments with one MP per constituency. This electoral system is known not to be conducive to women's representation, and both countries have struggled with low proportions of women in parliament. France's response was to introduce a gender parity law in 2000. Since then, the number of women in the French parliament has almost doubled, but still remains low by European standards and is far from parity. This article c…
Parity in France
As the world's first country to adopt a ‘parity’ quota, France could be considered an example of the growing phenomenon of quotas as a ‘fast track’ solution to the problem of women's under-representation. French universalism had impeded a more ‘incremental track’ to gender equality whilst placing a constitutional ban on quotas. The design of ‘parity’ as a means of overcoming these hurdles was both normative and pragmatic. Parity could be consider…
Why Are Gender Quotas Adopted? Party Pragmatism and Parity in France
The passage of electoral gender quotas raises questions about why male elites would support policies that seemingly go against their self-interests. Recent work on France suggests that quota adoption is self-interested because male legislators benefit from alleged voter bias against female candidates. This article evaluates this explanation as a means for understanding quota adoption globally. It argues that the key actors are not legislators but…
Progress But Still No PrÃ(c)sidente
Several women vied to be elected France's new president in 2012. These included Ségolène Royal, former Socialist presidential candidate in 2007, and Martine Aubry, Socialist party leader. Both these women were defeated by Fran?ois Hollande in the Socialist primary. In the main election, Marine le Pen garnered many headlines as the new leader of the controversial far-right party, the Front national. This article considers the campaigns and the med…
Quotas, Citizens, and Norms of Representation
The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Leverhulme Trust, who funded this research via a Research Fellowship grant
Quotas for Men
Gender quotas traditionally focus on the underrepresentation of women. Conceiving of quotas in this way perpetuates the status of men as the norm and women as the "other." Women are subject to heavy scrutiny of their qualifications and competence, whereas men's credentials go unchallenged. This article calls for a normative shift in the problem of overrepresentation, arguing that the quality of representation is negatively affected by having too …
What Makes a Good Politician? Reassessing the Criteria Used for Political Recruitment
Certain societal groups are significantly overrepresented within politics, including men, ethnic majority groups, and socioeconomic elites. This has fueled debates regarding meritocracy within political recruitment. While meritocracy is desirable, its definition and measurement are contested. The criteria used in theoretical and empirical academic studies differ from those of political parties and voters, as discussed below. Furthermore, there is…
The Political Representation of Ethnic Minority Women in France
This article nuances the argument that ethnic minority women experience cumulative disadvantage within politics. Drawing on the French case study, I demonstrate a complex relationship between gender and ethnicity. The gender parity movement saw ethnicity as competing with gender and rejected claims for ethnic minority representation, but still drew attention to the homogeneity of French politics. Descriptive representation of minority women is no…
Explaining Gender Gaps in Legislative Committees
Legislative committees are often the epicenter of parliamentary influence, so their composition matters. Men are widely overrepresented in prestigious, influential committees, with women concentrated in low-status committees. These gender gaps have repercussions for power, visibility, careers, and policy outcomes. Yet the puzzle of why committees are gendered remains unsolved. Combining insights from quantitative and qualitative methods, we offer…
Critical Perspectives on Men and Masculinities in Politics
The purpose of these Critical Perspectives is to consider gender gaps in politics with a specific focus on men, as opposed to the traditional focus on women. The study of gender and politics implies the gendered study of both sexes, yet very little scholarship within this large body of research has men as its primary object of study. We argue that a critical focus on men is necessary to understand the nature of male dominance, the way that male p…
Revisiting Forms of Representation by Critically Examining Men
Research on gender and politics has made use of Pitkin's (1967) distinction between descriptive, substantive, and symbolic representation to conceptualize and understand the different facets of women's underrepresentation and misrepresentation. The corresponding overrepresentation of men has seldom been explicitly recognized in this literature. We explore what the critical study of men and masculinities could contribute to the study of different …
Mariette Sineau – La Force du nombre (2008)
Bringing men and masculinities into political science
Most politicians are men, yet there is a surprising lack of focus within political science on the causes and consequences of male dominance. This article outlines how political science could benefit from greater engagement with scholarship on men and masculinities. The concept of ‘political masculinities’ has focused on the importance of ‘the political’ to masculinities scholarship; we argue for extending this concept to analyse men and masculini…
Gender Politics and Representation (24 works) · Political science (24 works) · Law (22 works) · Law (21 works) · Politics (21 works) · Historical Gender and Feminism Studies (14 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Gender Studies (11 works) · Gender Studies (11 works) · Economics (9 works)