Convulsions in power hierarchies and cracked glass ceilings in political elites: academic views in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay

Abstract

The paper analyses perceptions and representations of contemporary social changes in women’s participation in decision-making positions and in the integration of political elites in Latin America. The research seeks to build an interpretative comparative framework of changes in social inequalities and resistance to privilege at the “top” of society. The study of political elites is a difficult field to access, so we have opted for a methodological approach based on academic specialists. The study carries out a qualitative analysis of open-ended questions on the perceived degree of “glass ceilings” in women’s access to decision-making positions; and the intergenerational changes in women’s participation in political elites from a survey conducted in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay in the years 2020-2021.