Equality and Gender at Work in Islam: The Case of the Berber Population of the High Atlas Mountains

Abstract

This article investigates how religion-based social norms and values shape women’s access to employment in Muslim-majority countries. It develops a religiously sensitive conceptualization of the differential valence of genders based on respect, which serves to (re)produce inequality. Drawing on an ethnographic study of work practice in Berber communities in Morocco, aspects of respect are analyzed through an honor–shame continuum that serves to moralize and mediate gender relations. The findings show that respect and shame function as key inequality-(re)producing mechanisms. The dynamic interrelationship between respect and shame has implications for how we understand the ways in which gender inequality is institutionalized and (re)produced across different levels. Through these processes, gender-differentiated forms of respect become inscribed in organizational structures and practices, engendering persistent inequality.

Investigating the black box of external audit practice: the paradox of auditors' failure in detecting and reporting fraud

“…To present the study's results, the cases shared by external auditors in this study are first presented, and quotes are included to aid in the understanding of specific points of interpretation and demonstrate the prevalence of the themes following the previous qualitative research approach (Nowell et al ., 2017; Eger, 2021). A unique identifier accompanies all quotes to demonstrate that various participants represented the results.…”

The exploration of Iranian solo female travellers' experiences

“…Besides, nonetheless, in Iran, the perception of the gender gap is not wide. Eger (2020) argued that the description of gender (in)equality in some Muslim countries (such as Iran) deviates to some extent from the normative discussion of equality. While a group of women in Iran believes in traditional and Islamic interpretations of gender roles, some (especially new generations of women) are resisting these definitions of femininity and attempting to redefine the position of women based on normative feminist ideas (Khalajabadi‐Farahani et al, 2019).…”

Gender and tourism sustainability

“…The general tendency is to blame the individual when gender inequality, sexism or harassment issues emerge in organisations. According to previous research, sexism is a prevalent structural and societal problem that must be addressed by the leadership of an organisation (Eger, 2021a). Women often become the problem by pointing to the problem.…”

“…Gender, in all its spectra, is not an either-or but a both-and. Gender is the becoming of a subject through embodiment and the overall discursive and normative means through which gender relations, including the construction of not only sex but also violence, are (re)produced (Eger, 2016;Eger, 2021a).…”

“…Gender norms and categories do not exist in isolation but are in a complex interplay with other aspects of differences, such as race, ethnicity, disability, age, culture, religion and class. Inequality is experienced at the intersection of multiple differences, and looking at gender alone may cause scholars to miss certain underlying dynamics (Eger, 2021b). However, concepts such as empowerment, equality and sustainability often assume a certain level of stability (e.g.…”