Transcript Document

IMPORTED AND NON-OURS
Anu Laas, University of Tartu
Gender and Power in the New Europe,
the 5th European Feminist Research Conference
August 20-24, 2003 Lund University, Sweden
Research questions
(departure)
How is gender (in)equality perceived
among elite (MPs)?
Is gender (in)equality a social problem?
What is a discourse and (political)
rhetoric on gender equality?
How is gender constructed by MPs?
How to study shorthand reports?
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Background studies on equality
discourse
Rönnblom, cited in Magnusson E (1999).
GED
Poulsen H (2002). GED in ILO
Schmidt V (2002). GM in E. Commission
Woodward A (2002). GM – a confusing
term
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Theoretical framework
Burr V (1995). Social constructionism
Spector M & Kitsuse J L (1977).
Constructing social problems
Chilton P and Schäffner C (1997).
Discourse and Politics
Blumer H (1989). Symbolic
Interactionism
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Background
Estonia has joined international conventions
(UN, ILO)
1996, Equality Bureau at the Ministry of
Social Affairs was established
Estonia is harmonising legislation with the EU
Acquis Communitaure
Gender Equality Bill is not adopted,
discrimination is not legally defined
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Public opinion about gender equality, %
(June 2002, Ariko Marketing, N=1000)
Equality between
men and women
is an important
problem in
Estonia
9
I have met
inequal treatment
of men and
women
10
It is important to
assure a gender
equality in law
19
28
23
25
0%
Strongly agree
23
40%
Hard to say
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26
34
20%
Agree
30
19
25
60%
Disagree
8
80%
8
100%
Strongly disagree
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Shorthand reports
4 texts from March 2002 to January 2003
Shorthand Report No 1 (SR1 13.03.2002)
Shorthand Report No 2 (SR2 18.08.2002)
Shorthand Report No 3 (SR3 20.10.2002)
Shorthand Report No 4 (SR4 22.01.2003)
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Readings of 2 different draft laws
SR1 - Gender Equality Bill (927 SE), the first
reading, 7 424 words
SR2 - Gender Equality Bill (927 SE II), the
second reading, 11 026 words

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SEND THIS BILL TO
RECYCLE BIN? MPs were sure.
SR3 - The Equality and Equal Treatment Bill
(1198 SE), the first reading, 1 600 words
SR4 - The Equality and Equal Treatment Bill
(1198 SE II), the second reading, 4 658 words
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Studying shorthand reports
Two types of shorthand reports:
unedited (used for research)
 edited versions

Texts: presentations, explanatory notes,
speeches
Discussions and questions-answers
(conversations)
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Shortgomings
Stenographers do not make transcription in a
way as social scientists and lingvists do
Texts from shorthand reports lack voice,
pauses, emotions
Pure text gives on what was uttered on a
basis of dictum and analyst can be in troubles
to guess about implication
Ethnographic study?
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Analysing gender equality
discourse
Topology of political arguments (Rönnblom
1999; Magnusson 1999) assume that gender
and equality has somehow understood (rights
argument, resource argument, interest
argument)
3 main groups of MPs in Estonia:



Supporters, advocates of gender equality principle
Doubtful MPs
Supporters of traditional gender roles
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Argumentation by rapporteur (1)
(sales letter to the draft law)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
gender equality is a quite new concept in Estonia as well in
other countries in transition;
gender equality promotion is not yet clearly marked subfield in
the social policy;
legislation and institutions in respective area are deficient;
gender inequality is becoming to be a serious social problem;
discrimination is perceived as a normal and fatal;
no discussions on gender equality;
widely spreaded misinterpretation of nature of gendered
processes and its impact on women and men.
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Argumentation based on statistical
data and sample surveys (2)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
average life expectancy of men is more than 10 years shorter that
that of women;
men’s shorter life is connected with risk behaviour, hard work, stress
and social pressure to male breadwinner model;
women suffer due to small children and insecurity in labour market;
men have higher paid jobs, more power and more opportunities to
influence processes in whole society or in their workplace;
women have less authority and opportunities;
society accepts this abnormal situation and perceives it as a normal;
in average, women’s wages are 25% lower compared with men;
problems with combining work and family life is not acknowledged.
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Argumentation by co-rapporteur
Argumentation can be seen in two
different branches
attitudinal arguments
 economic arguments

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Gender equality discourse
(developed by MPs)
1. Unique and exceptional Estonia
(‘gender equality does not fit to Estonian
society and culture’)
2. Natural women (‘performing their roles
dedicated to them by nature’)
3. Poor men! Creatures!
(‘men live short and stressful life in Estonia
and need protection’)
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‘Poor men’ discourse
Men are harassed due to sex
‘Poor short men’ and physically ‘huge
women’
I am deeply grateful that this bill also
avoids unequal treatment of these ‘poor
men’. […] Why to call this doc a bill, not a
declaration?
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Blaming
Male MP is blaming that too much
information about women’s low status and
too little about the bill. ‘In fact, poor men
[…]’
MP: ‘To what kind of equality do you agitate
us?’
Co-rapporteur: ‘I agitate you to understand
causes of poor situation of men…’
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Chilton and Schäffner:
Discourse and politics
Political text and strategic function
Coercion (positioning self and others
etc)
Resistance, oppression and protest
Dissimulation (control of information,
verbal evasion, blurring)
Legitimization
Delegitimization (blaming, accusing)
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MP as spindoctors
Party politics and decisions are stronger than personal
opinion
Entrepreneurs afraid regulations, request to parties
Dissimulation


Speaking about details, looking for extreme examples
Threat that when gender equality is forced by law, women
loose men’s attention and politeness
Blurring

MPs asked how to guarantee gender equality in supervisory
body (‘will you divide people, somebody with double-head,
may be bisexuals needed? …’)
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Symbolic interactionism
Humans act toward people and things based
upon the meanings that they have given to
those people or things
Language gives humans a means by which
to negotiate meaning through symbols
Thought modifies each individual's
interpretation of symbols
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Research questions (arrival)
What about research journey (departure and
arrival)?
How to deal with emotions and ‘small talk’?
How to study shorthand reports?
How could sociologists analyse texts as
accompanying or explanatory note to draft law?
How MPs ‘fit’ to elite?
How Estonia ‘fits’ to Europe?
How Estonia ‘fits’ to EU?
What is post-communist gender?
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THANK YOU!
Anu Laas, [email protected]
Unit of Gender Studies
University of Tartu
Tiigi 78, 50410 Tartu, ESTONIA