Society on the edges: Politics, populism and paralysis – observations through an intersectional lens

In this paper I look to the wider cultural, political and economic landscape to interrogate the continuing dearth of women in leadership. Using examples in the Australian business and political contexts I identify a confluence of forces that while tangential to the women’s cause are impacting negatively on women’s authority and their lives. Through an intersectional lens (Collins & Bilge 2016; Ferber 2007, Collins 2000, Bourdieu 1984) I explore the interconnectedness of class, race and ideology in reinforcing gender oppression. In previous papers I have written of the brutal impact of modern capitalism in excluding women from positions of power (Piterman 2010). I have also described the idealisation of the market and its failure through the ‘business case’ Wittenberg Cox 2010, The Economist 2009, Wittenberg Cox & Maitland, 2008) to enhance women’s status and authority (Piterman 2015). In this paper I integrate ‘so called independent agendas’ (Ferree 2018) in explaining the ongoing subjugation of women’s identity, safety and authority. I argue that inherent in the ideology of neoliberalism is not only the primacy of capital (Iber 2018, Eisold 2004) but a fundamentalism that has led to fractures in liberal democracies which have heightened propensities for primitive dynamics of splitting, projective identification and introjection (Klein in Ogden 1979) manifested in racism and misogyny (Kovats 2017, Layton 2006) and in self destructive behaviour (Case & Deaton 2020, Sandel 2016, Layton 2007). This is now made starker in the Covid 19 environment (Lewis 2020, Ruppanner L Churchill B Scarborough W 2020). Most concerning is the ensuing impasse which sees class, culture and gender wars threaten the capacity for generative thinking, for genuine engagement and for reparation.

References
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Session schedule

10 MINS

Introduction by Ms Robyn Hartley

30 MINS

Paper presentation

15 MINS

Small group discussion; impressions of the paper and developing questions for the presenter

15 MINS

Discussion forum with the presenter; moderated for the speaker to elaborate their ideas

15 MINS

Small group activity or discussion ‘What does this paper tell us about working into the future?’

15 MINS

Discussion forum with the presenter; themes from the discussions

20 MINS

Whole Symposium across the papers reflections on the sessions

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