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doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.765021pmid: N/A
The topic of gender in the construction industry now commands a substantial literature given complaints about gender segregation and the dominance of men, culturally and numerically, within the sector. However, there is not enough research that problematizes men and masculinities as diverse and multiple, or investigates how gender binaries are implicated in sustaining heteronormativity within the construction scholarship, thereby marginalizing research on sexualities. The possibilities for ‘queering’ current research agendas are examined in regard to ‘men’ and ‘masculinities’, by introducing queer theory as a conceptual resource for disrupting and destabilizing facile notions of gender and sexuality as fixed, stable and universal. It is argued that analyses about men and masculinities in construction must take into account how men are situated in relation to formations of difference such as gender and sexuality. In so doing, concerns are expressed and new concepts and research questions are suggested with the primary aim of promoting but not prescribing further empirical research and theorizing.
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.832028pmid: N/A
The male-ness or masculine nature of the construction industry has often been blamed for the problems of equality and diversity in the sector. Yet, what constitutes masculinity in construction is rarely problematized. Conventionally, masculinity in construction tended to be associated with the subordination and harassment of minority groups (e.g. women, non-heterosexuals), and the ideals of keeping fit in order to meet the tough, physical demands of construction work. Therefore an attempt was made to expand the conceptualization of alternative masculinities in construction. By deploying queer theory, the life stories of nine non-heterosexuals working in trade and professional occupations in the construction industry were analysed to explore how a range of different masculinities played out in the social interactions in their personal and working lives. The findings suggest that conventional hegemonic masculinity, while present, is not the only form of masculinity that subordinates minority groups in construction. Rather, other non-hegemonic forms of masculinity (e.g. found in homo-social contexts) also serve to exclude both men and women. Nevertheless, examples were also identified of minorities countering such exclusionary forms of masculinity through, for instance, ‘friendship’ alliances at work, which could offer possibilities for building a more inclusive workplace in construction.
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.794297pmid: N/A
UK employers have been broadening their equality and diversity activities to include the issue of sexual orientation; however, the construction industry has been slow to follow. Equally there is a lack of research on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers in construction. While women’s sexuality soon becomes a focus of interest when they enter male-dominated work, little research has discussed how sexual minorities–and in particular lesbians–fare in such environments. This article examines how both gender and sexuality interact to shape women’s working lives within the UK construction sector, drawing on 22 interviews and a focus group with heterosexual women and lesbians in male-dominated occupations in construction. While women share common experiences of heightened interest and questioning, open lesbians can sometimes minimize the sexualized content of workplace interactions. However the potential for exclusion on the basis of minority sexuality also exists. Sexual harassment appears less prevalent for women in professional occupations than in the past, while women in the manual trades reported that the problem persists. Lesbians can experience different forms of harassment, however, from heterosexual women, while employers are less developed in their response to homophobic harassment.
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.808353pmid: N/A
The ageing workforce has implications for skills retention and equity in construction and ageing of self-employed tradesmen. The aims here were to define older tradesmen and present their experience of ageing along with the implications for masculinity. Ageing, the ageing workforce and construction management informed this conversation about diversity and skills shortages, how tradesmen negotiate ageing, the way it is perceived and how it impacts on masculinity. A phenomenological research design, with 20, in-depth interviews from independent tradesmen was deployed. Older tradesman defined themselves by physical capacity to work, rather than chronological age. Self-initiated strategies increased longevity and consisted of work adjustments such as paying for extra labour and machines and scheduling less onerous work. If widely adopted, such accommodations for the mainstream construction workforce might shift the masculine culture of the industry for specific equity groups. There were numerous possibilities for alternative work, but many disadvantages were identified. Suggestions for the industry about retention included self-care and personalized work adjustments. Recommendations for individuals included proactively planning retirement, particularly in terms of superannuation and other non-housing investment alternatives.
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.833339pmid: N/A
The construction industry remains male dominated despite reforms in recruitment, training and some workplaces since the 1970s. That said some women do still enter the industry. The aim of this research was to explore the embodied experiences of women who work in a particular area of construction, that of manual skilled trades. Fifteen tradeswomen between the ages of 21 and 60 were interviewed using a life history framework. Unstructured and in-depth, the life history interviews covered a broad range of topics including family history, education, embodiment, sexuality and work. This method aimed to contextualize participants’ experiences of work within broader relations, allowing a space for participants to discuss their labour processes beyond a conception of them as challenging. The central finding of the research was that gender was not experienced as stable or simple. Instead gender was contradictory. Some women also found that being ‘outside’ the expectations of masculine cultures allowed them to use their gender as a resource to work more smartly and more safely. From the experiences of women in trades, pleasure is theorized as a useful point of connection between women and between women and men in male dominated work cultures.
Caven, Valerie; Astor, Elena Navarro
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.766358pmid: N/A
The practice of architecture is very similar in different national settings despite what may be very different sociological and cultural origins of the profession, the attendant variances in how work is organized and distinctions in equality and gender roles. The aim of this paper is to examine the quest for equality in architecture for women in the UK and Spain reporting the findings of a comparative study into women architects’ careers in the two countries. Within the qualitative paradigm, semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with a total of 55 women architects in the UK and Spain. Findings indicate surprising differences in levels and terms of equality for women in the two countries and marked differences in women’s experiences of working as an architect. Women have come to the profession in Spain much later than their British counterparts and, somewhat surprisingly, are present in greater numbers. However, despite there being more of a ‘critical mass’ this has not served to improve their situation; they report much higher levels of discrimination and find it difficult to progress in their careers. Conclusions argue for a stronger approach by the professional bodies to help improve the position of women.
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2012.756143pmid: N/A
In Bangladesh, women’s mobility is culturally constrained and women need to negotiate with patriarchy in order to join the male dominated labour market outside the home. A large number of men continue to be highly resistant to women’s paid employment, partly because of the social norm of purdah and partly because they tend to consider it a shameful reflection on their ability as breadwinners, and hence on their masculine identity. While surmounting these constraints, women enter into full-time paid employment. However, the treatment of both men and women is not equal and this is particularly so in the construction sector. Thus, engaging in paid employment is not an easy decision to make and once women eventually join the labour force they experience mixed outcomes. It appears that paid work, on the one hand, confers on women greater economic autonomy and mobility and, on the other, exposes them to different sorts of deprivation and exploitation. In investigating these issues, the narratives of female construction workers were used to describe their experiences.
Raiden, Ani Birgit; Räisänen, Christine
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.802364pmid: N/A
Although there is a vast literature on issues of work-life balance, most of the research is grounded on the traditional view of work-life balance as a female-oriented entitlement. So far little attention has been paid to how men balance their work-life situations, especially the ‘new men’ who are keen to share the family care. We contribute to filling this gap by critically examining how male academics in construction-related departments at universities in Sweden and the UK construct their relationships with family and work. Narrative analysis was applied on in-depth interviews with seven academics from each country, who were at different phases in their careers. Three core narratives emerged from the data: family connected with partner; work as key priority; and desire to pursue personal projects, all of which competed for the narrators’ sparse time. The narrative that by far received most space and most storylines in all the interviews was ‘work as priority’, implying that in spite of gender equality policies and campaigns, work-life balance remains a female-oriented concern. Both Swedish and British men in our sample found juggling family and life most challenging. This work-family-life triad left many feeling that they had no time to do a good job in any sphere and in Sweden in particular combination pressure was intense. Curiously, despite these tensions and increasing demands for many of our respondents work remains a positive construct, possibly because of the strong conceptual identification of ‘self’ as an academic.
Manley, Sandra; Graft-Johnson, Ann De
doi: 10.1080/01446193.2013.797093pmid: N/A
In 2009, concerned at the low profile of disabled architects, the Royal Institute of British Architects commissioned the University of the West of England, Bristol to undertake research into the experiences of disabled people both as students and as practitioners of architecture. The aim of the research was to assess the current situation and identify and distil best practice in encouraging and enabling disabled people to pursue an architectural career. The research method included online questionnaires and interviews with disabled people who were either studying or practising as architects. Support workers, with a variety of roles and remits in both education and practice, were interviewed to assess the level and quality of provision and to determine attitudes towards disabled people. Websites of schools of architecture and practices were analysed. Significant issues were revealed relating to the representation and participation of disabled people in architectural education and employment. In particular, the educational ethos, curriculum and delivery raised concerns, as education acts as a gatekeeper to the profession. It is concluded that architecture schools and practitioners need to be proactive in creating more inclusive cultures and approaches to design which in turn could benefit the design of the built environment.
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