Women in politics: emotions and challenges in complex institutional dynamics

Abstract

Seminal studies about institutional theory highlighted the focus on cognitive issues in research on institutions. However, during the last few years, a growing body of literature has also been devoted to understanding the role of emotions in institutional dynamics. In one of the classic texts on institutional theory, Scott emphasizes three institutional pillars, the regulatory, the normative, and the cognitive. Researchers point out that there is now a fourth pillar: the role of emotions in institutional theory. This article explores the emotions’ role in institutional dynamics, especially related to women’s political participation in the 2018 Brazilian elections. Three cases of female candidates who showed high performance in pre-election polls, were discussed. The research analyzed the candidates’ interviews and social media, observing their emotions in publications and expressions. Also, emotional expressions of society toward the studied candidates, as well as expressions potentially reflecting the institutional dynamic present in the Brazilian political arrangement, were analyzed. The main results show that during the 2018 Brazilian electoral campaign, in the face of the institutionalization of a masculine environment on the political scenario, the society expressed emotions of hatred and aggression against the three candidates since they violated institutional arrangements about behaviors considered acceptable in the dominant institutional logic. Despite this, two of the three female candidates were elected with the highest number of votes in their states, surpassing their male competitors. The candidate who was not elected obtained a significant number of votes.