Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Women’s Presence in Politics and Male Politicians Commitment to Gender Equality in Politics

Evidence from 290 Swedish Local Councils

Bibliographic Data

ID6409891
AuthorsAndrej Kokkonen (0000-0001-8127-0800, University of Gothenburg, corresponding author), Lena Wängnerud (University of Gothenburg)
Year2017
Volume38
Issue2
Pages199-220
Publication date2017-04-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueWomen & Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0195-7732 • E-ISSN: 1540-9473
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1554477x.2016.1219582
OpenAlexW2526369486
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited39

This article provides the first comprehensive empirical test of how women's presence in politics affects male politicians' attitudes toward gender equality as an abstract ideal and their personal willingness to strive for women's interests. Using a unique survey of all 13,000 locally elected politicians in Sweden (response rate 63 percent), we find a negative association between a greater presence of women and male politicians' personal willingness to strive for women's interests. However, there is no such effect on male politicians' support for gender equality as an abstract ideal. We argue that the found pattern can likely be explained by the fact that it may be costly for male politicians to personally strive for women's interests, whereas it does not cost them anything to commit to gender equality as an abstract ideal

Commit · Gender equality · Ideal (ethics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Test (biology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Gender Politics and Representation · Gender Studies · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

  • A replication of “Women Representation in Parliaments

    Dejene Mamo Bekana•International Journal of Public…•2023

  • The discursive construction of men and women in Ghanaian parliamentary discourse

    Open Access•Kwabena Sarfo Sarfo-Kantankah•Ampersand•2021

  • Getting More Women into Politics under One-Party Dominance

    Open Access•Maznah Mohamad, Maznah Mohamad Maznah Mohamad•Southeast Asian studies•2018

  • Parting with ‘interests of women’

    Mette Marie Staehr Harder•European Journal of Politics and…•2023

  • Bringing men and masculinities into political science

    Rainbow Murray, Elin Bjarnegård•European Journal of Politics and…•2023

  • Personality and political representation—How personality traits shape MPs ' attitudes toward gender equality

    Open Access•Daniel Höhmann, Corinna Kroeber•Legislative Studies Quarterly•2024

  • The quest for gender equality

    Open Access•Yancili Lozano-Torres•Cities•2021

  • Underrepresenting Reality? Media Coverage of Women in Politics and Sport

    Open Access•Michael Courtney, Michael Breen et al.•Social Science Quarterly•2020

  • Keeping women in their place? The prevalence of gender role attitudes among local party chairs in Flanders

    Open Access•Robin Devroe, Sigrid Van Trappen•Acta Politica•2022

  • Is there a ‘woman advantage’? Gendered perceptions of candidate nominations in Finland

    Open Access•H Coffe, Catherine Bolzendahl et al.•International Political Science…•2026

  • For women only? Politicians’ attitudes towards men’s role in gender equality representation

    Open Access•Daniel Höhmann•West European Politics•2025

  • Gender Equality as a Closed Case

    Open Access•Drude Dahlerup•Scandinavian Political Studies•2018

  • When Do Men MPs Claim to Represent Women in Plenary Debates—Time-Series Cross-Sectional Evidence from the German States

    Open Access•Corinna Kroeber•Political Research Quarterly•2023

  • Do Women Always Represent Women? The Effects of Gender Quotas on Substantive Representation

    Open Access•Suen Wang•Political Behavior•2023

  • When politicians feel pressure to represent

    Open Access•Leonie Mugglin, Brian Murahwa et al.•Parliamentary Affairs•2025

  • Male MPs, electoral vulnerability and the substantive representation of women's interests

    Open Access•Daniel Höhmann, Mary Nugent et al.•European Journal of Political…•2022

  • Birds of a feather flock together? The survival of underrepresented groups within parliamentary parties, 1991–2015

    Open Access•Marc Van De Wardt, A Van Witteloostuijn et al.•European Journal of Political…•2021

  • Substantive Representation of Women

    Open Access•Yves Kläy, Reiner Eichenberger et al.•British Journal of Political…•2025

  • When Do Men Represent Women’s Interests in Parliament? How the Presence of Women in Parliament Affects the Legislative Behavior of Male Politicians

    Open Access•Daniel Höhmann•Swiss Political Science Review•2020

  • Representing Women

    Beth Reingold•Representing Women•2000

  • Men and women of the corporation

    Rosabeth Moss Kanter•Men and women of the corporation•1977

  • The Impact of Women in Congress

    Debra L Dodson•The Impact of Women in Congress…•2006

  • Political Power and Women’s Representation in Latin America

    Leslie A Schwindt-Bayer, Leslie A Schwindt‐bayer•Political power and women's…•2010

  • Informal social communication.

    Leon Festinger•Psychological Review•1950

  • Toward a Theory of Minority Group Relations

    H M Blalock•Toward a Theory of Minority Group…•1973

  • The Politics of Presence

    A Phillips•The politics of presence•1998

  • Rising Tide

    Open Access•Ronald Inglehart, P Norris•Rising Tide•2003

  • Prejudice as a Response to Perceived Group Threat

    L Quillian•American Sociological Review•1995

  • Exploring the Determinants of Feminist Consciousness in the United States

    Beth Reingold, Heather Foust•Women & Politics•1998

  • Gender and the Hidden Life of Institutions

    Open Access•Louise Chappell, Georgina Waylen•Public Administration•2013

  • Descriptive Representation, Policy Outcomes, and Municipal Day-Care Coverage in Norway

    Kathleen A Bratton, Leonard P Ray•American Journal of Political…•2002

  • Substantive Representation of Women

    Karen Celis•Women & Politics•2006

  • The Impact of Women on State Legislative Policies

    Sue Thomas•The Journal of Politics•1991

  • An Integrated Model of Women's Representation

    Leslie A Schwindt-Bayer, Leslie A Schwindt‐bayer et al.•The Journal of Politics•2005

  • If Only They’d Ask

    Richard L Fox, Jennifer L Lawle et al.•The Journal of Politics•2010

  • From a Small to a Large Minority

    Open Access•Drude Dahlerup•Scandinavian Political Studies•1988

  • Testing the Politics of Presence

    Open Access•Lena Wängnerud•Scandinavian Political Studies•2000

  • Numbers and Beyond

    Sandra Grey•Politics & Gender•2006

  • The Story of the Theory of Critical Mass

    Drude Dahlerup•Politics & Gender•2006

  • Critical Mass Theory and Women's Political Representation

    Open Access•Childs Sarah, Mona Lena Krook et al.•Political Studies•2008

  • Informal Influences in Selecting Female Political Candidates

    Open Access•Christine Cheng, M Tavits•Political Research Quarterly•2011

  • Exploring Gender Differences in State Legislators’ Policy Preferences

    Open Access•Sarah Poggione•Political Research Quarterly•2004

  • Do politics matter? Women in Swedish local elected assemblies 1970–2010 and gender equality in outcomes

    Open Access•Lena Wängnerud, Anders Sundell•European Political Science Review•2012

  • Women in Parliaments

    Lena Wängnerud•Annual Review of Political Science•2009

  • Attitudes in the Social Context

    Penny S Visser, Robert R Mirabile•Journal of Personality and Social…•2004

  • Currentcontroversies Infeministtheory

    Open Access•Mary G Dietz•Annual Review of Political Science•2003

  • Men's and Women's Consciousness of Gender Inequality

    Nancy J Davis, Robert V Robinson•American Sociological Review•1991

  • Gender Inequality in Deliberative Participation

    Open Access•Christopher F Karpowitz, Tali Mendelberg et al.•American Political Science Review•2012

  • A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment

    Morton Deutsch, Harold B Gerard•Journal of Abnormal & Social…•1955

  • Power and Influence in State Legislative Policymaking

    Open Access•Lyn Kathlene•American Political Science Review•1994

  • Feminist Attitudes and Support for Gender Equality

    Catherine Bolzendahl, C I Bolzendahl et al.•Social Forces•2004

  • Rethinking Tokenism

    Open Access•Janice D Yoder•Gender & Society•1991

  • Gender-Role Composition and Role Entrapment in Decision-Making Groups

    Open Access•Richard A Johnson, Gary I Schulman•Gender & Society•1989

  • Change in Gender-Ideology, 1977-1996

    Open Access•K L Brewster, Irene Padavic•Journal of Marriage and the Family•2000

  • The transformation of US gender role attitudes

    Open Access•Clem Brooks, Catherine Bolzendahl•Social Science Research•2004

Unique citing works19
Citations per year2,38
Citation span2018 - 2026 (9)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 19

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae