Gender and Work

Abstract

In this course, we explore men's and women's roles as productive and reproductive laborers, historically and contemporarily. Our goal is to understand the dynamisms -i.e., the creation, reinforcement and challengeof gender (in)equality in and outside of the home. The salience of other "axes of difference" (e.g., class, race, ethnicity) are also considered as critical factors in shaping the variable work experiences of men and women. Towards these ends, we will examine a wide array of empirical material and theoretical debates with a focus principally upon North American societies regarding: domestic labor; emotional labor; the relationship(s) between gender, organizations and bureaucracy; sexual harassment; gender-based segregation and stratification; and finally, work-family policy. Course Materials ! CoursepackThe coursepack (prepared by Eastman Systems, Inc.) is available at the McGill University bookstore. A copy of the coursepack is also on reserve in the McLennan-Redpath library.Additionally, I will be utilizing WebCT Vista to make available handouts, exam review sheets, etc…, so please check the course site on a regular basis. Course Organization and Requirements Class format:Lectures not only cover material from the readings, but also material which is not in the readings. So, while attendance is not mandatory, it is in your interest to attend lecture. Additionally, in order to be best prepared, you should do the readings as scheduled (see the "course schedule" below). This will enable you to better follow my lectures and to most effectively synthesize lecture and reading materials.CONFERENCES: On Fridays conferences will be held. No sign up is necessary. You must attend six conferences in order to receive credit (i.e., 5% of your final grade). Should you attend any less than six you will receive no credit.Note: On the Friday following the midterm, no conference will be held. Also, on Friday, April 10 th no conference will be held due to the Easter holiday; however, a substitute conference will be held on Tuesday, April 14 th . ReadingThese are the kinds of questions you should be thinking about as you are doing your reading for this course in order to best mentally process the materials:

Changes in Parental Time with Children in China, 2004–2011

“…Previous research in China suggested that women's status may be deteriorating due to the perceptions of discrimination are on the rise among cohorts of women in the labor market. 61 In China, managers, faced with numerous applicants for each position and with a growing awareness of the need to minimize costs, choose male applicants over equally qualified women, citing costs of maternity and childcare benefits as the reason. 62 Gender discrimination along with the lack of sufficient socialized domestic services has preserved the value of "traditional" gender role ideology and encourage women to be more devoted to domestic work.…”

Imagined futures in precarious working conditions: A gender matter?

“…It is argued that, rather than talking about genres of future, it seems more correct to speak about gendered futures in the process of precarization, characterized by very different levels of quality of work life and capacity to ‘act’ on the future, which are crucial aspects in shaping decisions in the present. In this way, this article further expands on previous research on gender and precariousness (McDonald, 2018; Pugh, 2015; Williams, 2019; Williams and Neely, 2015). Specifically, the analysis reveals different perceived levels of an individual’s control between men and women that are grounded in both the productive and reproductive dimensions of precarization.…”

“…This allows us to see precariousness in its ‘productive form’ (Alberti et al, 2018) in that it permits us to shed light on the relations between production, social reproduction and gender politics (Pugh, 2015). In this way, we shed light on the intricate links between precarity and gender inequalities under neoliberalism that are yet to be explored (Williams, 2019; Williams and Neely, 2015). In fact, as we consider these imagined futures, I suggest that we direct our attention, not only to the cultural, institutional and relational groundings (Mische, 2009), but also to the economic component: in particular, to the unequal division of labour between men and women.…”

Life Support: The Problems of Working for a Living

“…Both of these approaches—expanding the private safety net and expanding the public safety net—uncouple employment from well-being. Neither approach is perfect (Williams and Neely 2015). But they offer “real utopias” (Wright 2013).…”