Women in political elites : a comparison of Australia with Taiwan

This study compares recruitment and career paths of women politicians in Australia and Taiwan. It is based on the analysis of biographical materials and interviews with women MPs. The thesis argues that access of women to political elites is influenced by social dynamics, especially the pattern of modernisation. Different paths of modernisation — 'even' in Australia and 'uneven' in Taiwan — are associated with different configurations of gender-related political opportunities and resources, and with different political career paths. Political opportunities concern the overall access to social statuses and crucial pools of 'political eligibles'; political resources refer to those characteristics which are pivotal to securing promotion to elite positions. 'Even' modernisation in Australia is marked by economic, political and sociocultural modernisation, growing individualism and equalisation of political opportunities for women. However, such modernisation does not necessarily give women equal access to political resources, which tend to be concentrated in political organisations. 'Uneven' modernisation in Taiwan is marked by persistence of many traditional cultural norms and values, especially those concerning gender roles and the family. Consequently, women in Taiwan have more limited political opportunities than women in Australia. However, they have access to political resources, some of them gender-specific, which are concentrated in family networks and local communities. The career structures of women politicians (MPs) in both countries reflect these differences. Organisational (party or union) activist careers are dominant in Australia; they involve early entries into organised politics and long political apprenticeships. The dominant political career path for women in Taiwan represents a family-sponsored type; it involves a period of intense local activism