Intersectionality and candidate selection in Sweden

Abstract

This article addresses how intersectionality can be applied to studies of candidate selection. Based on empirical examples on the three stages of candidate selection in Sweden, it concludes that intersectionality is of importance not only in addressing the intersections between different forms of inequality and the resulting hierarchies between them, but also in drawing attention to dominant categories in any given context. By asking ‘which women’ and ‘which men’ are included as aspirants, candidates, and/or elected representatives, the mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion in candidate selection can be brought to the fore, particularly the ways in which the ‘norm’ (usually white privileged men) remains in power.