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GENDER AND PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AS A RECRUITMENT CRITERION IN THE POLITICAL ELITE OF LATVIA (1993-2016)

L. Metla-Rozentale, I. Kreituse

Abstract

Primarily factor determining potential of power and impact of policy elite (force of elite) is recruitment of elite, i.e. selection of candidates.[11] Research of recruitment process of policy elite shows that there is a wide variety of criteria and ways how candidates for policy elite are selected and chosen. Moreover, importance and mutual hierarchy of these criteria have changed over time and there is no single theoretical standard for recruitment process. As the title of the article indicates, the focal point of this research is the parliamentary political elite including member recruitment analysis, and focusing on two specific recruitment criterions, namely gender and professional competence.As soon as Latvia regained its independence in 1990, the complicated process of formation (recovery) of the democratic governance model started. In view of the complex political history of Latvia, it is interesting and important to clarify the role of gender and education in elite recruitment process. First of all– what correlations can be observed with regard to the male and female share in the parliament during the period of analysis, and the extent to which it complies with the sex ratio breakdown of the society? Second, what is the importance of education in the parliamentary political elite recruitment process? It should be noted that understanding of a content of a concept education has changed and today the concept of education means both academic education and experience in the industry and competitiveness forming overall professional competence of a person and serving as a source of impact and power.[1,5] Only interaction of all elements mentioned above (educations, experience, and competitiveness) may form professional system of a state service. The aim of these studies is to clarify the political situation and its dynamics.

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