Birte Siim

Contested Concepts in Gender and Social Politics

An important contribution to the current literature on gender and social politics, this book challenges mainstream thinking on welfare states, citizenship, family, work, and social policy. Contested Concepts in Gender and Social Politics analyses the corresponding shifts in political discourse, and the changes in socio-political configurations that mirror changing gender relations.

The women-friendly welfare state revisited

The concept of the women-friendly welfare states, introduced by the Norwegian political scientist Helga Maria Hernes in 1987, has had a considerable influence on welfare theory and research. In this article the normative basis and the analytical potential of the concept are explored. The concept can be criticized for its bias towards social democratic welfare states, which has challenged its analytical potential. Instead of abandoning it altogether, the authors suggest that an alternative could be to reformulate and contextualize the concept with gender equality as the key notion. The reformulation would make it possible to distinguish analytically between women-friendliness and policies that promote gender equality between different dimensions of welfare, and between civil and political from social aspects of citizenship.

The Challenge of Recognizing Diversity from the Perspective of Gender Equality: Dilemmas in Danish Citizenship

Abstract The objective of this article is to analyse the tension between diversity and gender equality, looking at problems and potentials for inclusion of minority women in the Danish citizenship model. It addresses the intersection of gender and ethnicity, focusing on two main themes. One is the gender‐political challenge of combining the discourse and politics of gender equality with respect for diversity in cultural values, family forms and gender‐equality norms. This theme explores the extent to which the dominant understanding of gender equality in public and private life is a potential or barrier for recognizing diversities among women, and it discusses how to empower minority women in their daily lives. The other is the democratic challenge of including the voices of minority women in politics and combine equal rights of ethnic minorities with respect for cultural diversity. This theme explores the extent to which the egalitarian political culture and democratic institutions represent a potential or a barrier for recognizing cultural differences and discusses how to empower minority women and give them a voice through democratic politics.

Scandinavian Feminist Debates on Citizenship

The Scandinavian notion of citizenship is based upon a strong participatory tradition. A broad notion of democracy includes not only formal political institutions but also the activities of social movements and voluntary associations in civil society. In social democratic citizenship, tension thus persists between traditions of governance where consensus-building is mediated through centralized corporate negotiations between major economic organizations, and an egalitarian, participatory tradition based on movement activism.

Vocabularies of citizenship and gender: Denmark

The language of citizenship has not till recently been used explicitly in the political discourse or in the academic debate about the welfare state and democracy in Denmark. This article explores the connection between citizenship and the sub-vocabularies of social equality, universality and participation in the political discourse. It is suggested that during the 1990s new vocabularies of citizenship have been introduced, as well as a new framework of citizenship, in the academic debate. The changes are discussed on the basis of three different cases: (a) parent-citizens as users of service provision; (b) the temporary leave schemes for citizen workers; and (c) activation of workers. The new language is contradictory and con tested. And it is an open question whether in the future we shall see a break with the former discourse of social equality and universality and an expansion of a more work-oriented welfare state, or a move toward a more solidaristic discourse that expands the principles behind the leave schemes. The article concludes by speculating about the future chal lenges for citizenship and the need to develop a new vision of equality and solidarity.

Gender, Populism and Politics of Belonging: Discourses of Right-Wing Populist Parties in Denmark, Norway and Austria

The meaning of gender equality, women’s rights and family values is contested within and across nation states as well as influenced by a variety of national histories, institutional and cultural contexts, including the European Union (EU). Results from the Eurosphere project1 have emphasised that right-wing populist parties in western Europe combine a strong anti-immigrant profile with a strong euro-scepticism emphasising national values, historical traditions and institutions. The representatives of these parties claim that non-Europeans and Muslims present a threat to national identity, social cohesion and to women’s rights in society. The project’s findings raise general questions about the relationship between gender equality, ethno-national diversity and national belongings in western Europe.

Negotiating Gender and Diversity in an Emergent European Public Sphere

PART I: THEORETICAL APPROACHES Intersections of gender and diversity - a European Perspective B.Siim European Public Spheres and intersectionality M.Mokre & B.Siim PART II: COLLECTIVE ACTORS OF THE PUBLIC SPHERE Intersectionality and the Discourses of Womens Social Movement Organisations Across Europe A.A.Lozano , A.A.Veinguer & N.Garcia-Gonzalez Gendered Identity Constructions in Political Discourse: the Cases of Denmark and Hungary L.R.Agustin & R.Sato Gender, Populism and Politics of Belonging: Discourses of Right-wing Populist Parties in Denmark, Norway and Austria S.Meet & B.Siim Multicultural Dialogues: Diversity, Gender and Immigration in the European Public Sphere R.Sato Gender and Diversity in European Media T.Flyger PART III: EU POLICIES AND TRANSNATIONAL MOBILISATION, DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES The EUs gender and Diversity Policies and the European Public Sphere M.Mokre & A.Borchorst Transnational Collective Mobilisation: Challenges for Womens Movements in Europe L.R.Agustin Collaborating on Combatting discrimination? Anti-racist and Gender Equality Organisations in Europe H.P.Nielsen Women, Participation and the European Parliament H.P.Nielsen & L.R.Agustin Concluding Remarks: Monika Mokre and Birte Siim: Intersectionality and the European Public Sphere

Inclusion and Exclusion in the European Public Sphere: Intersections of Gender and Race

Abstract Can transnational public spheres be envisaged for Europe, which, in fact, create accountability – that is, spaces of critical articulations, control mechanisms, and political correctives to the governing levels? Can the political, as a critical force and the willingness to struggle and decide, be re-introduced into the public sphere? In which ways are race/ethnicity, class and gender cleavages being (re)presented and articulated in the public sphere and how do they intersect? In attempting to answer these questions, we aim this article at exploring the potential for a European discursive space pertaining to issues of gender and diversity. The empirical focus is on the views of political parties and social movements that are participating in public debates. Addressing the inclusions and exclusions in the European public sphere at the intersections of gender and racial/ethnic minorities, we look at the shifts in rhetoric, discourses and policies. As a result, we find common discursive patterns on the intersections between ethnicity and gender which, however, can at best be interpreted as a sign of the emergence of broader European public spheres. Only if these debates can be generalised, European public spheres fulfilling the functions of creating accountability and control mechanisms can develop.

Introduction: The Politics of Inclusion and Empowerment — Gender, Class and Citizenship

Globalisation poses challenges for political and social theory as well as problems for the modern welfare state and democracy in that it demands the development of a new politics of redistribution and recognition. During the 1980s and 1990s a political battle was waged over the restructuring of the welfare state and democracy, followed by an academic debate about the meaning of certain key concepts, including equality, diversity and difference. One controversial issue is how to link the class struggle for greater economic equality with struggles for recognition of difference along gender, ethnicity and sexuality lines. The essays in this volume illuminate the political struggles and academic debates about the inclusion/exclusion of women and marginalised social groups from different policy contexts. The focus is on the different class and gender regimes influencing the interplay of citizenship in different policy context and on different levels of politics.

Gender, diversity and migration – challenges to Nordic welfare, gender politics and research

Purpose – The aim of the article is to discuss the challenges from immigration to Nordic (gender) politics, theories and research. The research question is to what extent Nordic welfare and gender equality politics is based on exclusive solidarity biased towards the native majorities. A key issue is how Nordic gender theory and research has addressed multiple inequalities. The article briefly revisits the academic debates about gender equality, diversity and multiculturalism, which arguably represent two different paradigms: multicultural approaches have addressed the accommodation of minorities with diversity as the key concept, while feminist approaches have focused on gender (in)equality with gender as the key concept.Design/methodology/approach – The intersectional approach suggests that increased migration and mobility present similar challenges for the two bodies of thought to address complex and multiple inequalities within and beyond the nation state. The main part explores “the multicultural dile...