The “constructivist turn” in the literature on political representation
ID
MSCA-2021-ESevers02
Supervisors
Project description
Increasingly, scholars working on the subject of political representation emphasize its constitutive aspects. Representation does not simply mirror socio-political realities (an understanding of re- praesentare that centres on the spatial-temporal gap between the citizenry and its leaders). Representation, rather, is indispensable for the constitution of such realities: it is only after and through being offered representations of itself that a people can find itself together, implied in a collective body or generality (an understanding of re-praesentare that treats re-iteration as the foundation of inter-subjective conceptions of what is real). These insights are routinely described as implying a “constructivist turn” in the representation literature. But what is it that we are turning away from? And where are we turning to? And, more fundamentally, what is lost and gained by this new understanding of political representation? (cf. Näsström 2011; Saward 2010; Disch 2015, Severs and Dovi 2018). I welcome theoretical investigations of the contemporary representation literature and how the “constructivist turn” is affecting our understanding of power (inequalities) and is shaping how we theorize representation fairness, citizen-state relations, citizen-citizen relations, and the ethics of political representation. I also welcome empirical research that seeks to unpack the performative aspects of political representation and that addresses the affective and theatrical aspects of claiming to speak on behalf of others.
The researcher will be embedded in two scholarly networks mainly: the VUB strategic research programme EDGE and the inter-university programme EOS RepResent.
About the research Group
EDGE VUB Strategic Research Program
The VUB Strategic Research Program EDGE on ‘Evaluating Democratic Governance in Europe’ has brought together researchers from the Political Science Department and from the Institute for European Studies, sharing a common interest in the study of the way in which political participation, representation and decision-making functions in contemporary Europe.
Since its creation in 2012, the EDGE program has been a research platform (e.g., research seminar series, writing and methodological workshops), a host for incoming scholars and a means for intensifying research collaborations on cutting-edge topics, such as: democratic myopia, the politicalrepresentation of animals and future generations, gender backlash in Europe, political radicalizationand the growth of niche parties, migration and Islam. EDGE researchers frequently collaborate with external partners (inter-university and European partnerships, alliance with ULB) for conducting electoral and parliamentary surveys.