The Gendered Dimensions of Rituals, Rules and Norms in the Chilean Congress

This paper investigates the symbolic aspects of the legislative process,conceptualising much of the routine activities of legislators as 'rituals'. While traditional accounts of legislator behaviour view day-to-day activities as primarily instrumental, conceptualising these activities as rituals and uncovering their symbolic dimensions reveals additional sources of motivation as well as the power dynamics that are embedded in routine activities. Formal rules, rituals and norms are not neutral, but instead have profoundly gendered effects to the extent that they encourage minority groups (such as women) to perform their roles according to the rules and behavioural styles of the dominant group. Often, this means adopting the legislative priorities of the dominant group as well. Drawing on evidence from a case study of Chile's post-dictatorship congress (1990-2010), the paper shows how rituals, rules and norms work to disadvantage women and, more specifically, undermine their ability to promote gender issues that are presumed to he conflicated.