Is Gender Like Ethnicity by Mala Htun - Essay Example

Article analysis: Is gender like Ethni by Mala Htun The politics of representations have changed significantly from the previous notion of unrepresentative approach to a time when the minority groups are allowed to represent themselves. Representation was reserved for the lords, the rich, the white majority and the men who were elected to represent the views of their subjects, the poor population and the women whose roles were confined to the homes. However, significant changes have occurred over time and the minority is today allowed to represent the interest of their class within different levels of representation (Htun 434). Despite the changes adopted in the representation structure, the policies used for women differ from that used in men. Men are given the chance to fight out with fellow men for the different representation position while women benefit from quota systems in which parties reserve special positions for them. The application of the principle of reservation and quota system has enabled women to represent the specific interest of their gender in the house. In Mala Htun article ‘is gender like ethnicity’, the idea behind the formation of group specific parties is evaluated. The author also looks at the dynamics involved in reserving seats using the quota system for women and the reservation of legislative seats for the minority groups (Htun 434). Different countries have different policies on representation and the use of reservation and quotas for special groups like women and ethnic minority. This system applies to all democratic situations whether completely religious like Muslim or catholic state, developed and developing countries among other identities. Most countries have legal requirements for this representation and this highlights the approach adopted by such countries when reserving different seats for its people. Countries that lack legal basis for reservation and quotas have different political arrangement, which allows for fair representation in parties and representative posts. The United States lacks a legal framework for representation of the minority or the women but uses a race conscious districting system that gives room for fair representation of all the races (Htun 434). In mature electoral democracies, states reserve special quotas within the political parties for women and legislative seats for the ethnic minority. The use of quotas and cleavages has been approached with a traditional perspective that fails to look at the implications and benefits of these representations. The author argues that the use of candidate quotas can only be significant within groups that have cross cutting interest while legislative reservation should be allocated to groups that have coinciding interests. Under the principle of use of quota for political party reservation, the law requires a specific number of slots to be left for women candidates during nomination. This is common in most democracies in which the law may require that a third of positions in all areas be reserved to women and that the ranking within these positions should alternate with men. The principle of quota system has significantly affected parties decisions and individuals picked to represent parties in certain districts (Dahlerup 214). The use of representation however affects the entire demography of an electoral system as it result into the creation of new electoral incentives and rules. These results into the creation of more than one set of electoral roll with special districts reserved for the minority groups. Under these principles, a party seeks to have a certain group of people who are subjected to a different set of conditions to be elected to the legislature (Htun 434). Strengths and weaknesses of the author’s arguments In this paper, the author attempts to highlight the differences between the types of presentations that border on the quota system and the representation within the legislature. Through this article, the author has critically highlighted the challenges met in trying to strike a balance when working towards achieving gender and ethnic balance in representation. Reservations and the quota systems produce quite distinct results, which the author considers as self-cancelling due to the opposite effects that they produce. Throughout the article, the author has articulated the challenges that both the quota and reservation systems are faced with in attempting to strike a balance (Dahlerup 216). The suggestion of the article, which agitates for the analogous adoption of the quota system, reflects the dreams and desires of major democracies across the world. Despite the widely conceived weakness of the female gender that makes them entitled to quota representation, this should be applied to other genders depending on the situation. The author however provides empirical support for ethnic reservation and considers it as a group right that ought to be provided in fair ration of the ethnic minority and the ethnic majority. By equating the reservation used in gender representation to class action, the author actually provides a strong basis for legal arguments (Htun 438). A class action is considered as a legal binding action that is either held because of a plaintiff made on behalf of the other entire members of the group. Historically, secure minority representations have through legal and judicial actions seen as the provision of historical justice to the group. This is the exact hypothesis that the author brings out in this article by highlighting how judicial processes have been used to strike a balance and eliminate disparities that previously existed (Dahlerup 210). Insights from the article In this article, the author provides a number of detailed views on the issue of quota and reservation in political representation despite the sensitivity of the topic. Through his analysis of the different reservation and quota approaches in different countries, the author has clearly provided an insight on the best way to improve the two approaches. The conclusive advice provided by that author is anchored on the argument that gender sensitivity and reservations borders on ethnic principles (Htun 441). Through this analysis, the author attempts to highlight the differences that exist between different political setups in different countries that affect equal opportunities for both genders. The United States and other countries in the west cannot cling to the principle of reservation when compared to other countries like India. The rights and opportunities available for the two genders differ significantly and this affects their ability to get fair chance in representation. India has a system that may be pro male gender thus favoring the males as compared to the females (Dahlerup 213). Despite this insightful description of the reservation approach and benefit to the weaker gender, the author has omitted intentionally or not the opportunities that it has provided to the female in different parts of the world. While analyzing the reservation approach in India, the author has highlighted the political terrain that favors the male macho while providing no room for the female politicians. This makes it important for party reservation for the female and the application of two-thirds gender rule in representation. Indira Gandhi, one of the most successful politicians in India rose through the reservation principle but later created an independent role for herself in politics. She rose to be the leader of the majority party that was in power by then, a position that was not actually reserved for her. The author thus omitted the cases of women who have raised to position of influence not because of the reservation principles but through personal might and abilities like the late Indira Gandhi of India (Dahlerup 216). Apart from highlighting the principle of the reservation principle in achieving gender balance in presentation, Htun highlights the controversy that has surrounded the application of the quota system. The quota approach results into profiling of some electoral sections and allocating them to a specific tribe or ethnic group. Htun brings insightful analysis of the artificial discrimination created by the use of the quota system in different parts of the world. As an approach developed to reduce the unfair representation and lack of minority representation in countries like the United States, quota system has been clouded with opposition (Htun 441). The author highlights the kind of discrimination that it puts on the majority while trying to please the minority and increase their representation in the legislature. The controversy surrounding this policy is highlighted by the few countries that have legislated and implemented the use of the quota system to achieve gender and ethnic balance in their representations (Bird, 5). Key unanswered questions Htun has attempted to provide critical analysis of the two systems and the benefits that the countries that adopted them continue to accrue. With the use of the quota and reservation systems, ethnic and gender ways are reduced significantly as all citizens, male or female, black or white have fair presentation in the country. However, this article has failed to highlight significant questions surrounding these principles and how exactly they have been tackled in different countries (Htun 434). Both the approaches were adopted to reduce inequality in representation in different countries like the United States, India and Singapore. However, one question that has over the years remained unanswered is whether the quota system actually holds the key to equality in representation. Does giving one gender a free ride and an alternative to representative and leadership position guarantees equality in the country in any way? What are the limits when applying this principle and when does a leader of a weaker gender gains the power to attain a position through personal struggles (Bird 5)? Does the current political and democratic development and advances in different countries of the world still have room for the quota system or is it time to eliminate the system? The development of quota system in most countries like in the United States arose due to the historical injustices that were facing the female and the ethnic minorities. For a long time, they neither were allowed to vie for elective positions nor did vote in the process meant to choose their representatives. When this was abolished, the female and the ethnic minority still had no chance of being elected to the representative and leadership position (Htun 443). This necessitated the need for the creation of the quota and reservation system to ensure that the women had a place in the legislature. However, the current advancement in democratic processes and affirmative action makes this system obsolete and more discriminating against the males and the majority. The author has failed to provide a detailed explanation of the relevance of this system in today’s political terrain and how it is still important as a way of reducing inequality in democratic processes (Bird 2). Despite the omission of the current issues raised about the topic, the author has presented a flawless work with no recognizable flaws. Through the article, the author has explained the application of the quota and reservation systems in different democracies across the world. This analysis has been based n the different political atmosphere and democratic advances in different countries, which make it necessary to either, implement the quota system or not. This article can thus be concluded as flawless and one that critically addresses the question without bias as one would have expected from female contributor (Bird 5). Author’s thesis and future studies The principles of reservation and quota systems are not just applied to political representation in all the countries that the author has discussed. The Peruvian and the Indian use different approaches of the political and economical representation approaches in ensuring equity and cohesion. However, this paper and the thesis discussed by the author provide a better ground for the development of more research questions and thesis to be studied. The continuous adoption of these two approaches has aimed at achieving fair representation and the elimination of gender and ethnic discontent in a country. However, just like ideas and practices become obsolete, these approaches are also subjected to wear and tear (Htun 443). This provides room for a study that should seek to determine the relevance of the two approaches in current political and democratic advancements. Is the quota system still relevant in the American context and does the country needs to develop a practice that cushion the women and the ethnic minority from under representation? Answering this question will provide ground for understanding the maturity of our democratic and electoral systems thus eliminating the need for quota systems (Bird 5). The international monetary adopted the original political approach for economic purposes and for the provision of aid to different countries and economies. This makes it essential to link the historical quota system adopted for political reasons to economic applications. Is political quota as a way of reducing under representation and ethnic disadvantages irrelevant in the current economic and political context? While developing a thesis to answer this question, the benefits of these political approaches aimed at eliminating under representation should be analyzed in different contexts (Htun 443). In Peru, the quota system is not necessarily used in political representation and the balancing of elective position but in public appointments and duties. This creates a new dilemma that must be addressed by adequate research processes. The role of quota and reservation systems in attaining equal economic empowerment for all genders should be analyzed with reference to countries like Peru and India that have applied them. This will provide relevance to these political principles that have been used to eliminate ethnical and gender discontent because of misrepresentation in public positions (Bird 6). Conclusion Htun is a known political science scholar with bias towards studying the gender imbalance and the role of women in political positions. In this article, she has provided an in depth discussion of two approaches that have been used by different countries to achieve fair representation and reduce ethnic discontent. She has provided case studies of different countries with both the quota and the reservation systems and how they have succeeded from the approaches. Works cited Bird, Karen. The political representation of women and ethnic minorities in established democracies: a framework for comparative research. Ontario: Academy of migration studies. 2003. Print. Dahlerup, Drude. Women, quotas and politics. London: Routledge. 2013. Print. Htun, Mala. Is gender like ethnicity? The political representation of identity groups. Perspectives on politics 2:3(2004): 434-454. Print Read More