The Empowerment Loop - Identity and Confidence among Youth Politicians in Eastern Africa

Abstract

This paper will develop a theoretical model of empowerment, based on the sociology of emotions and a field study on a Swedish development program for young politicians in Eastern-Africa. Conceptualizing the process of empowerment I will build on theories of confidence (Barbalet 2001), interaction rituals (Collins 1993) and identity (Turner and Stets 2006). Trying this model against an empirical material consisting of interviews with the participants of the development program I will show how the main obstacle of an empowerment process is denied identities, something that particularity affects women in leadership positions. Explaining how we can understand the process of empowerment from a sociology of emotions - point of view I will then discuss how can it be strategically manipulated.