To What Extent was the Political Arena Gendered Masculine in Early Modern Europe?
Keywords:
Early Modern Gender and Sexuality, Gender Style, Internalised Misogyny, Historical Women Rulers, Early Modern Political Arena, Mary of Hungary, Maria Theresa, Christina of SwedenAbstract
This essay explores the political sphere in early modern Europe in order to determine the extent to which it was gendered masculine. Although the early modern period signified a new era of female kings, the political sphere still contained huge power asymmetries between the genders. This is evident in the environment created by the political thought of the time and legal barriers that women faced. These conditions led to manifestations of “gender style” and internalised misogyny which truly reflect the masculine nature of the political sphere. By shedding light on these intricacies, this essay aims to make clear that the political arena in which early modern female rulers functioned in was simply not made for them.
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