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Peripheral Inclusion Through Informal Silencing and Voice : A Study of LGB Officers in the Swedish Police

Rennstam, Jens LU and Sullivan, Katie (2018) In Gender, Work and Organization 25(2). p.177-194
Abstract
Seen through the growth of progressive diversity policies it may appear that contemporary organizations are sites of equality. But although inclusion is the formally stated aim of many organizations, exclusionary pressures toward LGBT workers still challenge sexual minorities' access to full inclusion. A central concern in this paper is exploring how to understand inclusion in organizational contexts where inclusion is formally advocated, and yet where both inclusionary and exclusionary pressures exist. Drawing on an interview study of Swedish gay and lesbian police officers we present the concept 'peripheral inclusion' as a way to understand inclusion in contemporary organizational life. In addition, we theorize that the dynamics between... (More)
Seen through the growth of progressive diversity policies it may appear that contemporary organizations are sites of equality. But although inclusion is the formally stated aim of many organizations, exclusionary pressures toward LGBT workers still challenge sexual minorities' access to full inclusion. A central concern in this paper is exploring how to understand inclusion in organizational contexts where inclusion is formally advocated, and yet where both inclusionary and exclusionary pressures exist. Drawing on an interview study of Swedish gay and lesbian police officers we present the concept 'peripheral inclusion' as a way to understand inclusion in contemporary organizational life. In addition, we theorize that the dynamics between silencing and voice is a key mode that impacts the informal ways in which exclusion and inclusion occur. We thereby contribute to previous research on inclusion that has focused on the degree to which minorities are included by conceptualizing the mode in which inclusion occurs in everyday work. Studying modes and degrees of inclusion and exclusion in relation to each other highlights how inclusion is a collective and fragile process in which inclusionary and exclusionary pressures coexist, and that questions of who and what is included in contemporary organizations are shifting and open questions. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Gender, Work and Organization
volume
25
issue
2
pages
18 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85030317935
ISSN
1468-0432
DOI
10.1111/gwao.12194
project
Managing diversity in the Swedish police
Public Management Research
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9bb6d6c1-e49b-4138-8e07-ce329e734d37
date added to LUP
2017-09-25 15:05:45
date last changed
2022-05-10 18:52:29
@article{9bb6d6c1-e49b-4138-8e07-ce329e734d37,
  abstract     = {{Seen through the growth of progressive diversity policies it may appear that contemporary organizations are sites of equality. But although inclusion is the formally stated aim of many organizations, exclusionary pressures toward LGBT workers still challenge sexual minorities' access to full inclusion. A central concern in this paper is exploring how to understand inclusion in organizational contexts where inclusion is formally advocated, and yet where both inclusionary and exclusionary pressures exist. Drawing on an interview study of Swedish gay and lesbian police officers we present the concept 'peripheral inclusion' as a way to understand inclusion in contemporary organizational life. In addition, we theorize that the dynamics between silencing and voice is a key mode that impacts the informal ways in which exclusion and inclusion occur. We thereby contribute to previous research on inclusion that has focused on the degree to which minorities are included by conceptualizing the mode in which inclusion occurs in everyday work. Studying modes and degrees of inclusion and exclusion in relation to each other highlights how inclusion is a collective and fragile process in which inclusionary and exclusionary pressures coexist, and that questions of who and what is included in contemporary organizations are shifting and open questions.}},
  author       = {{Rennstam, Jens and Sullivan, Katie}},
  issn         = {{1468-0432}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{177--194}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Gender, Work and Organization}},
  title        = {{Peripheral Inclusion Through Informal Silencing and Voice : A Study of LGB Officers in the Swedish Police}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12194}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/gwao.12194}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}