“No, Gender doesn’t make a Difference…?” Studying Negotiations and Gender in Organizations

Abstract

This article focuses on methodological challenges and strategies with regard to studying gender in organizations. Work organizations are often thought, theorized and talked about as gender-neutral arenas and, therefore, gender is often seen as irrelevant and of no importance in modern work-life. There is also often a discrepancy in relation to gender between discourse and practice, which makes it difficult to capture the significance of gender in organizations by the interview method alone. On the basis of two empirical studies, focusing on the significance of gender in negotiations of wage and parental leave in the work place, the article explores some of the challenges and complexities involved when researching gender as a social category of difference, which produces inequalities in organizations. Furthermore, the article demonstrates and discusses how applying and combining different methods and research strategies -for example following specific negotiations to a conclusion -provide insight into the production of gender in discourse and practice at the work place level. Thus, the article argues that reflexivity and methodological plurality are important when studying gender in work organizations.

“We Don’t See Gender, Only Soldiers!” - Negotiating Military Identities in Narratives on Gender, Peace, and Security

“…In continuation of this, on a number of topics, Denmark positions itself in an exceptional place among the Nordics and in particular as a Scandinavian country in relation to gender and diversity (Bloksgaard 2012;Bloksgaard and Faber 2004;Thidemann Faber and Nielsen 2015;Rolandsen Agustín and Siim 2015;Dahlerup 2018;Fiig, Rolandsen Agustín, Siim 2022). In her 2018 book, Drude Dahlerup argues that what is especially significant about exceptionalism and gender in a Danish context is the idea of a Closed Case.…”

“…An understanding that is embedded with a shared self-understanding that the Nordics are particularly just, equal, and reflective in combatting social, economic, and political injustices. Nonetheless, the practices of these normative understandings of the Nordic (and Danish) way may be more nuanced, problematic, and, at times, even contradicting in terms of what is happening in reality (Borchorst 2009;Bloksgaard 2012;Loftsdóttir and Jensen 2016a;Siim and Stoltz 2015). This may include a lack of self-reflection in terms of race and gender, which I address in Chapters 5-6 in regard to the soldiers' understandings of gender issues in particular, but also race and nationality in relation to international missions.…”

“…recruitment of women. Bloksgaard (2012) makes the point that the concept of being 'gender-neutral' is often used within Danish organizations to stress a normative understanding that gender is of no relevance for the type of job or the performance of the worker (where, in fact, the opposite is often true in practice) (Bloksgaard 2012, 163). This idea, which Bloksgaard presents, resonates with the Danish Armed Forces' understanding of "not seeing gender" but "just soldiers".…”

“…Hence, I argue that military (and militarized) masculinities, despite their pitfalls, has the potential to reveal ways in which masculinities within military settings are negotiated on a personal level for the soldiers and through institutional narratives, which combined bring forward the nuances and ambiguities of discussing military work and identity in a modern military such as the Danish. Moreover, the Danish context in which the notion of having achieved gender equality is common (Bloksgaard 2012;Borchorst 2009;Fiig;Rolandsen Agustín and Siim 2022) brings forward interesting nuances to examining military masculinities within the Royal Danish Air force and makes room for new approaches to the concept where these national narratives come to affect the understandings and applications of the concept. Hence, these points are paramount for how the concept is used in this project.…”

“…For this project, I, therefore, find inspiration from scholars within the field of feminist IR and critical military studies who conduct interviews with individuals who either are members of state militaries, paramilitary groups, or resistance movements (McEvoy 2009;Persson 2011;Kronsell 2012;Rones 2015;Baker et al 2016). Moreover, I take inspiration from qualitative work on gender within sociology (Acker 1990;Højgaard 2010;Bloksgaard 2012) This combination has served as inspiration for the interview protocol and the process of conducting the actual interviews.…”