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Methodological Reflections on Studying Gender‐Sensitive Parliaments Cross‐Nationally: A "Most Significant Change" Approach
[journal article]
Abstract Whilst cross-national comparative analyses provide distinct opportunities for the study of gender-sensitive parliaments, the inherent challenge in conducting comparisons necessitates a continued search for innovative methods. This article responds to this need by proposing the "most significant chan... view more
Whilst cross-national comparative analyses provide distinct opportunities for the study of gender-sensitive parliaments, the inherent challenge in conducting comparisons necessitates a continued search for innovative methods. This article responds to this need by proposing the "most significant change" (MSC) approach (Davies & Dart, 2005), which centres on collecting and analysing "stories of significant change." Drawing on our own application of MSC in an international study commissioned by INTER PARES, we show that MSC's bottom-up, inductive, and participatory approach proved valuable in uncovering hitherto unknown instances of gender-sensitive changes across countries, illuminating the broader impact of such changes beyond parliaments and incorporating practitioners' perspectives. The flexibility of MSC also enabled context-specific applications, which we illustrate through three examples from Cyprus, Germany, and Trinidad & Tobago. By offering a complementary approach to compare parliaments' gender sensitivity across countries, our study provides a novel perspective for future comparative analyses in the field.... view less
Keywords
gender-specific factors; equality; parliament; Cyprus; Federal Republic of Germany; Trinidad and Tobago; gender relations; method; research
Classification
Women's Studies, Feminist Studies, Gender Studies
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
comparative politics; gender equality; gender‐sensitive parliaments; research methods
Document language
English
Publication Year
2024
Journal
Politics and Governance, 12 (2024)
Issue topic
Gender Equality Reforms in Parliaments
ISSN
2183-2463
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed