Gender, Age and Inequality in the Professions

Vol 9 No 2 (2019)

“…Scholars have identified divisions within professions across work setting, authority level, and across gender, race, and immigration status. Differences across age cohort and generation are also evident, but have seldom been explored (Choroszewicz & Adams, 2019). Despite the belief that these internal divisions are likely to grow, and that they have the potential to alter professions dramatically Waring, 2014;Noordegraaf, 2016), few scholars have adopted an explicitly intersectional approach to explore within-profession differentiation more closely.…”

“…The intersection between gender and age has been particularly neglected, not only among professions scholars, but in intersectionality theory as well (McMullin, 2011;Choroszewicz & Adams, 2019). Professions, and the organizations in which professionals work, are gendered institutions (Adams, 2000;Britton, 2017;Davies, 1996).…”

“…There is a sizeable body of research exploring the significance of gender to professional employment (see, for instance, Davies, 1996;Hearn et al, 2016;. Research has explored the movement of women into traditionally male-dominated professions (Adams, 2010;Choroszewicz & Kay, in press), as well as women and men's different experiences of career entry, career progression, professional practice and identity, and work-family reconciliation (see for example Choroszewicz & Adams, 2019). Despite the feminization trend in Western professions, gender equity social policies, and other social change, there is evidence that gender still shapes experiences of professional employment in important ways (Britton, 2017;Hearn et al, 2016).…”

“…Despite the feminization trend in Western professions, gender equity social policies, and other social change, there is evidence that gender still shapes experiences of professional employment in important ways (Britton, 2017;Hearn et al, 2016). However, it has also become clear that a gender lens is often insufficient as social inequalities across a range of dimensions, including class, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and citizenship, intertwine to shape experiences (Choroszewicz & Adams, 2019;Holvino, 2010). Intersectional theoretical perspectives provide analytical tools to understand how gender, class, and race, and other structured sets of social relations (and identities) intersect to shape experiences, advantages and disadvantages, and opportunities (Acker, 2006;Choo & Ferree, 2010;Crenshaw, 1989;Holvino, 2010).…”

“…In our recent book, Gender, Age and Inequality in the Professions, we argue that combining an intersectional approach with a life course perspective helps to illuminate the intersection of gender and age (and other dimensions of inequality) (Choroszewicz & Adams, 2019). Gender and age are important, co-constructed, and structural systems of inequality.…”