How Women Shape Negativity in Parliamentary Speeches—A Sentiment Analysis of Debates in the Austrian Parliament
| Autor: | Marcelo Jenny, Martin Haselmayer, Sarah C. Dingler |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Sociology and Political Science
Parliament media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences Sentiment analysis 050109 social psychology Negativity effect Gender studies 0506 political science Political science 050602 political science & public administration 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences Law media_common |
| Zdroj: | Parliamentary Affairs. 75:867-886 |
| ISSN: | 1460-2482 0031-2290 |
| Popis: | Though negativity in political debates influences citizens’ attitudes towards legislative institutions, research on how Members of Parliaments (MPs) use negative language remains scant. This study shows how the gender of speakers and the context of debates influence the level of negativity in parliamentary speeches. We argue that female MPs use less negative language than male colleagues due to gender differences in socialisation and stereotypical expectations. Applying sentiment analysis with word embeddings to 20 years of plenary speeches in the Austrian parliament, we find that speeches by women MPs are less negative on average compared to those of their male colleagues. A more balanced gender distribution within a party group decreases differences in tone by lowering the negativity of male speakers. A growing share of women in parliament can thus change the tone of debates, which might enhance the legitimacy of political institutions and the quality of democracy. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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