What does'representation' mean?
One common-sense usage of the term is as follows: ‘Representation means using language to say something meaning-ful about, or to represent, the world meaningfully, to other people.’ You may well ask, ‘Is that all?’
What is political representation?
As mentioned earlier, theoretical discussions of political representation have focused mainly on the formal procedures of authorization and accountability within nation states, that is, on what Pitkin called formalistic representation. However, such a focus is no longer satisfactory due to international and domestic political transformations.
Why is representation important?
This is where representation comes in. Representation is the production of the meaning of the concepts in our minds through language. It is the link between concepts and language which enables us to refer to either the ‘real’ world of objects, people or events, or indeed to imaginary worlds of fictional objects, people and events.
What does it mean to represent?
[Classic treatments of the concept of political representations within this literature include Pennock and Chapman 1968; Pitkin, 1967 and Schwartz, 1988.] Hanna Pitkin (1967) provides, perhaps, one of the most straightforward definitions: to represent is simply to “mmake present again.”
Extension théorique et pratique de la définition sociologique de