Maktutövning ur ett organisations- och genusperspektiv. En studie vid tre vårdavdelningar
(2000) In Studia psychologica et paedagogica- Abstract
- The primary aim of the present thesis is to increase understandig of the relationship between organisational structure, gender and power. Understanding of this relationship requires a closeness to the individual being studied as well to the content and consequences of that individuals´actions. The empirical object of study is a group of professional women at a somatic clinic. The problem investigated is based on a theoretical perspective on organisations; feminist theories and power theories. Our starting point was that these women should be seen as subjects who actively shape their own daily living situation, experience and actions. We thus felt it appropriate to choose a qualitative method. Data was collected by means of observation and... (More)
- The primary aim of the present thesis is to increase understandig of the relationship between organisational structure, gender and power. Understanding of this relationship requires a closeness to the individual being studied as well to the content and consequences of that individuals´actions. The empirical object of study is a group of professional women at a somatic clinic. The problem investigated is based on a theoretical perspective on organisations; feminist theories and power theories. Our starting point was that these women should be seen as subjects who actively shape their own daily living situation, experience and actions. We thus felt it appropriate to choose a qualitative method. Data was collected by means of observation and qualitative interviews. The results show that the first foundation of gender-related domination at the clinic was hierarchial and bureaucratic and was characterised by a clear power symmetry and division of labour. The second foundation of gender-related domination resulted in the organisational structure of the clinic allowing a few men at the top of the hierarchy to exercise power over the women in the middle and lower levels. An important conclusion is that the women studied were clearly at a disadvantage in a hierarchial organisation. The difference in influence between men and women in the study was further reinforced by the fact that the various professional categories belonged to different sub-cultures. The unisexual sub-cultures when combined with the doctor´s normative sub-culture further increased the opportunities for the men studied to dominate the women, thereby reinforcing the impression that the organisation was based om male norms and the logic of segregation.
Male domination can also be understood from an individual perspective. The men studied adopted different strategies as a means of accentuating their position in relation to the women. The study comprised a few women who used specific domination tactics. They possessed knowledge of the different power techniques open to them, and they used these in their relations with men.
Knowledge of the two foundations mentioned stimulates the desire to initiate changes. One element of significance in such changes is the re-forming of structural conditions. It is important to bring about changes at individual level. Men and women´s consciousness of, and knowledge about, gender-related domination must be the focus of attention. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Inom svensk hälso- och sjukvård är 82% av samtliga landstingsanställda kvinnor. Majoriteten av dessa kvinnor återfinns in organisationsstrukturens mellanskikt eller bas. I denna avhandling problematiseras den process inom vilken maktutövning sker i vardagliga möten mellan kvinnor och män inom tre somatiska vårdavdelningar. Resultatet visar att den genusrelaterade maktutövning som utspelades mellan kvinnor och män vilade på två fundament. Det första var att organisationsstrukturen gav ett fåtal män i hierarkins topp möjlighet att utöva makt gentemot kvinnorna i hierarkins mellanskikt eller bas. En viktig konklusion är att studiens kvinnor missgynnades av att befinna sig i en hierarkisk... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Inom svensk hälso- och sjukvård är 82% av samtliga landstingsanställda kvinnor. Majoriteten av dessa kvinnor återfinns in organisationsstrukturens mellanskikt eller bas. I denna avhandling problematiseras den process inom vilken maktutövning sker i vardagliga möten mellan kvinnor och män inom tre somatiska vårdavdelningar. Resultatet visar att den genusrelaterade maktutövning som utspelades mellan kvinnor och män vilade på två fundament. Det första var att organisationsstrukturen gav ett fåtal män i hierarkins topp möjlighet att utöva makt gentemot kvinnorna i hierarkins mellanskikt eller bas. En viktig konklusion är att studiens kvinnor missgynnades av att befinna sig i en hierarkisk organisation. Det andra fundamentet var att kvinnornas utsatthet för makt baserades på det faktum att de var kvinnor. Studiens män tillämpade olika strategier för att markera sin position gentemot kvinnorna. Maktutövningen hade flera olika uttrycksformer, där en var att skuldbelägga kvinnorna. Andra maktformer handlade om att inte bekräfta kvinnorna som individer eller att nedvärdera dem. Det manliga maktutövandet yttrade sig också i en ovilja att förstå kvinnornas synpunkter och frågor, men även i att männen i hierarkins topp utövade makt genom att kontrollera informationsflödet och därmed bestämma vilken information som skulle spridas ner i hierarkin. För att hantera den maktutövning som studiens kvinnor utsattes för tillgrep de olika former av motmaktstrategier. Exempel på sådana strategier var kvinnlighet, moderlighet, intimitet och humor. Strategierna gav kvinnorna vissa möjligheter att påverka inom ramen för de normer som fanns inom organisationskulturen. Motmaktstrategierna konfirmerade samtidigt genusordningen inom organisationen. Ett fåtal av studiens kvinnor utövade makt. Dessa kvinnor hade kunskap om vilka maktstrategier de kunde utnyttja och använde dem i interaktionen med männen. Utrymmesskapande är ett exempel på en maktstrategi som kvinnorna tillämpade. Tekniken innebar att kvinnan förberedde sig inför möten och effekten blev att hon i vissa frågor kunde påverka och bli mera synlig inom organisationen. Stödet från andra kvinnor var i några fall en förutsättning för denna maktstrategi. Manipulation var ytterligare ett sätt för kvinnorna att utöva makt och de nådde då sina mål genom att använda olika knep.
Kunskap om genus skapar förutsättningar för kvinnor och män att bli medvetna om genus betydelse för den egna situationen i organisationen samt om maktinnehållet i genusrelationen. Kunskap kan också leda till insikter om att genus och organisation i vardagspraxis ömsesidigt påverkar varandra och att maktutövning är ett resultat av dessa samverkande krafter. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/27737
- author
- Albinsson, Gunilla and Arnesson, Kerstin LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Docent Öhrn, Elisabeth, Göteborgs universitet
- organization
- publishing date
- 2000
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Organisation, Pedagogik, power, Pedagogy and didactics, resistance, gender, didaktik
- in
- Studia psychologica et paedagogica
- pages
- 275 pages
- publisher
- Department of Educational Research, Box 23 501, S-20045 Malmö, Sweden
- defense location
- E 122 Lärarhögskolan i Malmö
- defense date
- 2000-05-25 10:15:00
- external identifiers
-
- other:ISRN: LUSADG (SAPP-1073) 1-275 (2000)
- ISSN
- 0346-5926
- ISBN
- 91-88810-11-9
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- f185b810-3310-4f86-a688-b7d9bec91289 (old id 27737)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:24:34
- date last changed
- 2019-05-23 16:39:30
@phdthesis{f185b810-3310-4f86-a688-b7d9bec91289,
abstract = {{The primary aim of the present thesis is to increase understandig of the relationship between organisational structure, gender and power. Understanding of this relationship requires a closeness to the individual being studied as well to the content and consequences of that individuals´actions. The empirical object of study is a group of professional women at a somatic clinic. The problem investigated is based on a theoretical perspective on organisations; feminist theories and power theories. Our starting point was that these women should be seen as subjects who actively shape their own daily living situation, experience and actions. We thus felt it appropriate to choose a qualitative method. Data was collected by means of observation and qualitative interviews. The results show that the first foundation of gender-related domination at the clinic was hierarchial and bureaucratic and was characterised by a clear power symmetry and division of labour. The second foundation of gender-related domination resulted in the organisational structure of the clinic allowing a few men at the top of the hierarchy to exercise power over the women in the middle and lower levels. An important conclusion is that the women studied were clearly at a disadvantage in a hierarchial organisation. The difference in influence between men and women in the study was further reinforced by the fact that the various professional categories belonged to different sub-cultures. The unisexual sub-cultures when combined with the doctor´s normative sub-culture further increased the opportunities for the men studied to dominate the women, thereby reinforcing the impression that the organisation was based om male norms and the logic of segregation.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Male domination can also be understood from an individual perspective. The men studied adopted different strategies as a means of accentuating their position in relation to the women. The study comprised a few women who used specific domination tactics. They possessed knowledge of the different power techniques open to them, and they used these in their relations with men.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Knowledge of the two foundations mentioned stimulates the desire to initiate changes. One element of significance in such changes is the re-forming of structural conditions. It is important to bring about changes at individual level. Men and women´s consciousness of, and knowledge about, gender-related domination must be the focus of attention.}},
author = {{Albinsson, Gunilla and Arnesson, Kerstin}},
isbn = {{91-88810-11-9}},
issn = {{0346-5926}},
keywords = {{Organisation; Pedagogik; power; Pedagogy and didactics; resistance; gender; didaktik}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Department of Educational Research, Box 23 501, S-20045 Malmö, Sweden}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Studia psychologica et paedagogica}},
title = {{Maktutövning ur ett organisations- och genusperspektiv. En studie vid tre vårdavdelningar}},
year = {{2000}},
}