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Breaking Boundaries: An Ethnographic Study of Women in Management

Comtesse, Donna LU (2013) TKAM02 20131
Division of Ethnology
Abstract (Swedish)
Women have succeeded in management positions for over a generation. These positions have conventionally been understood as male and thus difficult for women to be in. On the basis of a qualitative study this thesis investigates the everyday practices and positions of women in management. Material has been collected from ethnographic methods primarily based on participant observations and interviews. Drawing on findings with a cultural analysis perspective and using feminist Bourdieuian concepts of field and gender capital I examine how these women do management and whether they wield gender capital to maintain their careers. An intersectional perspective is also applied to understand how these women experience and do management. I argue... (More)
Women have succeeded in management positions for over a generation. These positions have conventionally been understood as male and thus difficult for women to be in. On the basis of a qualitative study this thesis investigates the everyday practices and positions of women in management. Material has been collected from ethnographic methods primarily based on participant observations and interviews. Drawing on findings with a cultural analysis perspective and using feminist Bourdieuian concepts of field and gender capital I examine how these women do management and whether they wield gender capital to maintain their careers. An intersectional perspective is also applied to understand how these women experience and do management. I argue gender capital may be a resource by which women develop and maintain their careers with, whilst also recognising the problem of gender labelling management. Thus in understanding these practices and positionings, the convention of understanding management, as male, does not account for the complexity and variation seen in this study. This study suggests that it is necessary to appreciate these complexities and variation in management, and gender capital offers an explanatory means for furthering understandings of management practices. This study also suggests femininity is gaining currency in the field of management. Further, actionable insights are provided into how these understandings of the women in management practices can be beneficial to gender and organisational change. (Less)
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author
Comtesse, Donna LU
supervisor
organization
course
TKAM02 20131
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
gender capital, field, Bourdieu, male norm, doing gender, management, women, cultural analysis, ethnography, Ethnology, etnologi.
language
English
id
4174361
date added to LUP
2013-12-12 16:06:53
date last changed
2013-12-12 16:06:53
@misc{4174361,
  abstract     = {{Women have succeeded in management positions for over a generation. These positions have conventionally been understood as male and thus difficult for women to be in. On the basis of a qualitative study this thesis investigates the everyday practices and positions of women in management. Material has been collected from ethnographic methods primarily based on participant observations and interviews. Drawing on findings with a cultural analysis perspective and using feminist Bourdieuian concepts of field and gender capital I examine how these women do management and whether they wield gender capital to maintain their careers. An intersectional perspective is also applied to understand how these women experience and do management. I argue gender capital may be a resource by which women develop and maintain their careers with, whilst also recognising the problem of gender labelling management. Thus in understanding these practices and positionings, the convention of understanding management, as male, does not account for the complexity and variation seen in this study. This study suggests that it is necessary to appreciate these complexities and variation in management, and gender capital offers an explanatory means for furthering understandings of management practices. This study also suggests femininity is gaining currency in the field of management. Further, actionable insights are provided into how these understandings of the women in management practices can be beneficial to gender and organisational change.}},
  author       = {{Comtesse, Donna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Breaking Boundaries: An Ethnographic Study of Women in Management}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}