A REDIRECT research paper by Eline Severs was presented at the European Consortium for Political Research General Conference 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. The conference provided an opportunity for scholars from around the world to exchange new research on contemporary developments in political representation and democratic politics.
The presentation, titled “(Un-)Doing Democracy: Populism, Body Politics, Authenticity, and Gender”, examined how the bodily performances of political actors shape the delivery and reception of representative claims. Drawing on research on populism, gender and political representation, the paper explored how appeals to authenticity, embodied performances and gendered displays contribute to the construction of representative relationships with political audiences.
Using a case study of a Flemish right-wing activist, the study showed how political actors mobilise their bodies as symbolic carriers of meaning to reinforce claims of authenticity, proximity to “the people” and anti-establishment credentials. The discussion contributed to REDIRECT’s broader research on the transformation of democratic representation and the role of performance, authenticity and audiences in contemporary politics.
Date: 15 August 2024
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Partner: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
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