Democratic Ideals and Practices given Discriminatory Conventions and Stereotypes

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

Abstract: Our panel explores the underlying mechanisms of discriminatory practices and their implications for democratic politics. The papers adopt a realistic view of discrimination, accepting that despite egalitarian and merit-based ideas of individual treatment, that arbitrary treatments patterns prevail both as a matter of habit and seemingly innocent preferences, as well as from the outright motivation of seeking domination over others. The papers span from identifying mechanisms which result in discriminatory behaviors, and suggesting some remedies which may be effective and those interventions which may prove counterproductive. Thus, overall, this research provides a sober and searching scrutiny of both why and how discrimination prevails. One paper examines the role of the state in countering discrimination, arguing that such measures should be context-specific and may be more effective if not promoted by state interventions. Another paper examines gender emancipation in world politics and argues that states support counter-discriminatory practices only so long as actual roles of dominance are not threatened. Two papers use models to identify potential mechanisms by which discriminatory practices may become routinized. Both papers span an analytic framework with experimental evidence in order to draw conclusions regarding how the hypothetical mechanism may explain discriminatory outcomes in social practices.

Sub Unit

• Division 31: Women and Politics Research

Cosponsor

• Division 45: Human Rights

Individual Presentations

• Populism and the Power of Binary Discriminatory Conventions - Sonja M. Amadae, University of Helsinki

• Can the State Stop Sex Discrimination? - Mala Htun, University of New Mexico; Francesca R. Jensenius, University of Oslo

• Stereotypes Are More Powerful When People Like to Agree with Each Other - Michael Chwe, UCLA

• The Limits of Gender Equality (Policies) - Laura Sjoberg, Royal Holloway, University of London; Bryant Edward Harden, University of Florida

Chair

• Charles David Crabtree Dartmouth College

Discussants

• Soledad Artiz Prillaman Stanford University

• Charles David Crabtree Dartmouth College