Skip to main content

STICERD Work in Progress Seminars

Gender Ratios and Group Interaction: Evidence from Local Parliamentary Meetings in South Korea

Martina Zanella (LSE)

Friday 07 June 2019 13:00 - 14:00

Many of our seminars and public events this year will continue as in person or as hybrid (online and in person) events. Please check our website listings and Twitter feed @STICERD_LSE for updates.

Unless otherwise specified, in-person seminars are open to the public.

Those unable to join the seminars in-person are welcome to participate via zoom if the event is hybrid.


About this event

How does the proportion of females affect the group dynamic in a male-dominated setting? We study this question in the context of local parliamentary meetings in South Korea, exploiting the introduction of gender quotas in the elections for members of parliament (MP). The legal requirement for local parliaments to publish detailed minutes of parliamentary meetings gives us the unique opportunity to observe in a systematic manner how individuals interact. Identity economics as well as a vast literature in sociology make varied predictions of male and female behavior in male-dominated settings. For example, men may hold the view of women as threats to the norm, or they may gradually become more accepting of female colleagues. Women may cope by taking on masculine attitudes and distancing themselves from female colleagues, or they may develop solidarity among themselves. We intend to analyze the minutes of the parliamentary meetings to see how the increase in the share of female MPs affected female and male MP behavior, as measured by frequency and length of speeches, proposal and endorsement of new bills, and contention against and support for other MPs. This study may also shed light on the exact mechanisms by which gender quotas in political positions lead to female-friendly policies 1 by zooming in on the legislative process.

STICERD Work in Progress seminars are held on Fridays in term time at 13:00-14:00, ONLINE, unless specified otherwise.

Seminar organisers: Philip Barteska and Alix Bonargent

For further information please contact Lubala Chibwe: l.chibwe@lse.ac.uk.

Please use this link to subscribe or unsubscribe to the STICERD Work in Progress seminars mailing list (sticwip).