Marianne Tøraasen

Marianne is interested in political careers, how gender representation takes place within different political institutions, and how such institutions are gendered. In the SUCCESS project, she explores these questions within the context of France.

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For her PhD in comparative politics, Marianne studied gendered judicial representation in fragile states through an in-depth case study of Haiti, focusing on representative roles, access to judicial office, and gendered experiences on the bench. In her master thesis in comparative politics, Marianne examined the impact of gender quotas on women’s symbolic representation in Senegal.

 

In addition to contributing to the SUCCESS project, Marianne works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) in Bergen. Her work has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Modern African Studies and Politics & Gender. She has previously worked in education and in public administration. 

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Get to know Marianne

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Is there a TV-show you are binging now?  

I have watched so much I Think You Should Leave that I now know the sketches by heart. Fargo, Succession, Severance and Twin Peaks are other favorites. I don’t like to admit it, but watching TV is my number one hobby, especially during the colder seasons.

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If you could have dinner with someone famous, dead, or alive, who would it be? 

I prefer not to have dinner with famous people because I get nervous and starstruck. But I guess Simone de Beauvoir would be cool. 

 

​What kind of music are you listening to these days? 

I’m addicted to music. There is something I like in most genres and from most decades, both mainstream hits and so-called indie. My most played song this year was “Sunset” by Caroline Polachek. When I work, I get distracted by song lyrics, but I’ve made a playlist which consists of classical, ambient, and Italian instrumental movie soundtracks from the 60s and 70s, which works surprisingly well for getting stuff done.

 

Is there a book you would recommend within your field? 

I remember that “Space Invaders: Race, Gender and Bodies Our of Place” by Nirmal Puwar made a real impression on me. 

 

Which novel would you recommend for purely entertainment purposes?  

“Vi er fem” by the Norwegian author Matias Faldbakken was insane and extremely entertaining.  

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Where are you best able to think?

In the shower, or on my walk home from work. I often have to stop and write down new insights or formulations on my phone in order not to forget until the next day.

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How would you describe your desk?

Quite messy, full of old coffee cups, post-it notes and printed articles. But you know what they say, messy on the outside, organized on the inside!

 

What is your favorite thing to do to relax?   

I feel very happy and relaxed when I casually ride a bike. Unfortunately, I don’t own a bike. So, I lie on the couch instead. I have just moved to a house with a garden, so I hope that I will find garden work relaxing.

 

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be, and what would you be doing?  

I would not mind going back to the Italian island of Ponza with my loved ones. I would swim in the ocean and read books on the beach during the day and eat delicious food in the evenings. 

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