Descriptive Representation from the Perspective of Mothers Facing Socio-economic Precarity in Brussels
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54195/plc.23508Keywords:
descriptive representation, substantive representation, political inclusion, intersectionality, lived experienceAbstract
Descriptive representation is often assumed to enhance democratic legitimacy by increasing the presence of historically underrepresented groups in political institutions. Yet empirical research shows that greater presence does not consistently produce substantive responsiveness. Drawing on participatory research with women facing socio-economic precarity and migration backgrounds in Brussels, this article centres participant-led perspectives to examine how these women understand and evaluate representation. Adopting an intersectional lens, the analysis demonstrates how participants repeatedly articulate political concerns and expectations of representation through motherhood, which infuses and shapes their experiences of precarity, migration background, and discrimination. The findings reveal a critical and conditional understanding of descriptive representation: while lived experience remained politically meaningful, descriptiveness mattered primarily insofar as it served to actively respond to and engage with ongoing experienced political problems. Ultimately, this study reframes descriptive representation and its link to substantive responsiveness by highlighting the central roles of power, political memory, and lived experience as a dynamic source of political knowledge.
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