The aim was to investigate what may have caused women's underrepresentation at leading positions in Alvesta municipal politics. This was intended to be carried out with an analysis of three parties selection processes and based on the parties perceptions of possible causes for the underrepresentation. The method chosen was a theory-consuming case study, conducted with collected material from semi-structured interviews as well as a quantitative material that was collected from the municipality's website. Politicians from the Social democrates, the Moderate party and the Centre party were interviewed for the investigation. The results were analyzed with a pre-selected theoretical framework, such as homosociality, contactcapital and gender differences when it comes to political ambition. The results showed that the selection processes mainly proceeded in a similar way, however, there were differences regarding which criteria were sought from the candidates. The results also showed that the underrepresentation could have been caused by different circumstances for each party. More prominent perceptions of causes were analyzed against different socialized processes on the basis of gender, which could have affected the possibilities the parties had for being able to nominate women for the leading positions.

För att kunna klättra i den politiska hierarkin är karriären på lokal nivå avgörande eftersom lokala erfarenheter anses vara positivt, och eftertraktat för att kunna lyckas. Sverige har ett partidominant valsystem, vilket innebär att valresultat i princip är en produkt av partiernas interna nomineringsprocess. Den senaste forskningen visar att valberedningar ger företräde åt kandidater som de själva anser att de kan likställas med. Varav denna studie har ämnat till att studera vilka formella och informella regler som kan påverka nomineringar till partiets vallistor. Vidare vad som eftertraktas av partiernas valberedningar i urvalet av kandidater och vilken betydelse kontaktkapital har för nomineringsprocessen. Undersökningen har grundat sig i en kvalitativ forskningsansats och det empiriska materialet har inhämtats genom halvstrukturerade intervjuer. Deltagarna i studien har varit tre valberedare och tre heltidspolitiker med minst ett förtroendeuppdrag. Resultatet har analyserats med utgångspunkt i teorin om kontaktkapital, homosocialitet och tidigare forskning. Studien har vidare mynnat ut i ett resultat som visar på att nomineringsprocessen inte är helt oberoende av valberedningens subjektiva premisser. Där det tydligt går att urskilja att det finns en rad egenskaper som är meriterande, och som kan hjälpa kandidater i nomineringsprocessen vid tilldelning av uppdrag och topplaceringar i vallistor. Det har visat sig vara viktigt att kandidaterna har ett nätverk, och ett förtroende för att lyckas och tilldelas uppdrag. / To be able to climb the political hierarchy, careers on a local level is crucial, because local experiences are considered positive and desired in order to succeed. Sweden has a party-dominant electoral system, which means that election results are a product of the parties' internal nomination process. The latest research shows that nomination committees give preference to candidates whom they themselves believe can be associated with. This study intends to investigate which formal and informal rules can affect nominations for the party's election lists. Furthermore, what is desired by the parties' nomination committees in the selection of candidates, and the importance of contact capital in the nomination process. The study has been based on a qualitative research approach and the empirical material has been obtained through semi-structured interviews. The participants in the study have been three electoral commissioners and three full-time politicians with at least one trust assignment. The results have been analyzed with the help of the theory of contact capital, homosociality and previous research. The study result shows that the nomination process is not completely self-sufficing of the nomination committee's subjective premises. Where it is clearly observable that there are a number of qualities that are meritorious, and that can assist candidates in the nomination process. It has proved to be important that candidates have a network, and a confidence to be able to succeed.