Tesis para optar al grado de Magíster en Comunicación Política

This thesis explores the leadership styles of three female presidents in Latin America: Michelle Bachelet (Chile), Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Argentina) y Dilma Rousseff (Brazil). These three women were chosen because each has been the first generally elected female president in their respective countries. Each woman’s profile is divided into two parts: 1) an expository evaluation of the life and career of each woman, and 2) a case study of her specific leadership style based on a particular event or challenge faced during her presidency. It is important to understand the political trajectories of these women because they demonstrate how certain cultural, structural, and institutional barriers have broken over time, allowing more women to ascend to the highest political offices. On the other hand, each case serves to enrich our holistic understanding of some of the current female presidents and in what ways they have been successful leaders. In general, Bachelet has been a transformational leader, Fernández de Kirchner has been a charismatic leader, and Rousseff has been an authentic relational leader. Through these case studies, we see that there is no one “feminine” leadership style, a conclusion which coincides with the existing literature.

<p>The following thesis is dedicated to the investigation of the comparative gender discourse of two of the current South American female Presidents: Michelle Bachelet, the first woman elected President in Chile for a four year term, in 2006 and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the first woman elected President in Argentina also for a four year term, but in 2007. Using secondary sources and critical discourse analysis, the study attempts to characterize their agenda on gender both before and after their election campaigns. Recognizing that a candidate must balance between many actors, as one of the principles of social constructivism runs, the essay presents a short history of the feminist movement in both countries and the current state that the movement finds itself in, either institutionalized or absorbed and fragmented by party politics. The conclusions that the study arrives to are that, of the two subjects, the one who has presented a more concrete and convincing stand on gender thanks to her political views, the space created for feminism by her coalition and the climate of her country, is Michelle Bachelet.</p>

Seminario de Investigación para optar al grado de Licenciado en Comunicación Social / El 2005 es un año de elecciones presidenciales con una característica muy particular. Inicialmente se presentaron dos precandidatas mujeres representando a la Concertación. Michelle Bachelet, quien fue la primera en ser nombrada candidata presidencial y actual líder en las encuestas, representa al Partido Socialista (PS), Partido Por la Democracia (PPD) y Partido Radical (PRSD). Soledad Alvear asumió su candidatura meses después que su contrincante y fue apoyada por la Democracia Cristiana (DC) hasta el 24 de mayo, fecha en que renunció a su postulación presidencial. El nombramiento de ambas fue distinto. Michelle Bachelet fue proclamada oficialmente candidata presidencial el 27 de noviembre del 2004, en un Pleno del Comité Central del Partido Socialista. Es más, antes de ese nombramiento ya era para la mayoría de la opinión pública la futura Presidenta de Chile. Por su parte, Soledad Alvear fue elegida como abanderada presidencial de la DC luego de imponerse a Adolfo Zaldívar, presidente de su colectividad, en una reñida Junta Nacional de su partido. Según las propias declaraciones de Alvear, su renuncia buscó "el bien superior de Chile, de mi partido y de la Concertación (...) de esta forma, Michelle Bachelet es la candidata única de la Concertación". Sin embargo, la visión general señala que la verdadera razón sería el poco apoyo del presidente de su partido y los resultados poco alentadores de las encuestas. Ante todo esto, hay que tener presente que la política es generalmente identificada como un ejercicio masculino, donde únicamente los hombres son protagonistas esenciales. Son ellos quienes lideran los partidos políticos, suman mayoría en el Congreso y también en la Moneda. Sin embargo, la posibilidad de que una mujer alcance el más importante cargo político en Chile instala un interesante escenario para ser analizado.

This master thesis focuses on the changes in domestic and foreign policy during the presidency of Michelle Bachelet in Chile (2006-2010). The goal of this study is to find out whether systemic changes in domestic politics and/or reorientation in foregin policy have taken place within the regional shift to the left. The paper is divided into four logically connected chapters. The conclusion is that, despite several partial changes in domestic sphere and a major emphasis in regional aspects of foreign policy, no aforementioned profound changes have occurred.

The following thesis is dedicated to the investigation of the comparative gender discourse of two of the current South American female Presidents: Michelle Bachelet, the first woman elected President in Chile for a four year term, in 2006 and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the first woman elected President in Argentina also for a four year term, but in 2007. Using secondary sources and critical discourse analysis, the study attempts to characterize their agenda on gender both before and after their election campaigns. Recognizing that a candidate must balance between many actors, as one of the principles of social constructivism runs, the essay presents a short history of the feminist movement in both countries and the current state that the movement finds itself in, either institutionalized or absorbed and fragmented by party politics. The conclusions that the study arrives to are that, of the two subjects, the one who has presented a more concrete and convincing stand on gender thanks to her political views, the space created for feminism by her coalition and the climate of her country, is Michelle Bachelet.