'Big Politics Are Made Here!': An Intersectional Analysis of Municipal Politics in a Village
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article deals with the inequalities that can accompany participation in municipal politics.It is based on qualitative ethnographic research that took place in a Slovak village with a population of both Roma and non-Roma, and the analysis primarily focuses on the position of Roma and non-Roma women in municipal politics.The positions of participants and groups in municipal politics are viewed using an intersectional approach that focuses mainly on the analysis of power inequalities.In intersectional theory, the social identity of individuals is conceptualised as multidimensional and therefore multiple factors need to be included in the analysis of power relations.In this research, two categories were included: gender and ethnicity.The participation of Roma and non-Roma women in politics was framed by an idea of the countryside as a place that is not open to much change and in which women do not usually hold public or political roles, as their gender role is mainly associated with the domestic space.This exposes the sphere of politics as a space that is primarily occupied by men, both Roma and non-Roma, and in which women choose specific attitudes and strategies to cope with their position in a sphere that does not expect their participation.
Source: Czech Sociological Review
Author: Kristýna Hájková
Institution: University of Hradec Králové
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7124836674