Women Constructing Masculinity in Voluntary Firefighting

Abstract

Within gender studies, research and theorizing have used archetypal ‘masculine’ occupations to explore how masculinity is accomplished and practised in social interaction. In contrast, little work has explored how masculinity is constructed in the voluntary sector. In this paper, we address this gap by exploring how masculinity is constructed and experienced by women volunteers who are active firefighters in rural and regional Victoria. Firefighting is widely recognized as a non‐traditional occupation for women and they are underrepresented as volunteers as well as paid employees. We explore masculinity from the perspective of women volunteers because this can enhance our understanding of masculinity as a relational achievement as well as help to identify practices that they experience as problematic. Our research shows how voluntary work can afford a distinct range of resources for the ‘doing’ of gender and how this reflects the specific organizational and geographical contexts in which such volunteering occurs.

Are fire services ‘extremely gendered’ organizations? Examining the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Australia

“…Ainsworth et al (2014) note this in their study of current and former female CFA volunteers. Ainsworth et al (2014) note this in their study of current and former female CFA volunteers.…”

“…In other localities, it has been suggested that the rural or wildland firefighter lacks the same cultural prestige as an urban counterpart but, in Australia, this does not appear to be the case. This can be seen through conformity to a particularly valorized kind of rural hegemonic masculinity (Tyler & Fairbrother, 2013a), often with links to the military (Ainsworth et al, 2014) and notions of militaristic-style heroism (Schauble, 2002). This can be seen through conformity to a particularly valorized kind of rural hegemonic masculinity (Tyler & Fairbrother, 2013a), often with links to the military (Ainsworth et al, 2014) and notions of militaristic-style heroism (Schauble, 2002).…”

Aging Workers and the Employee-Employer Relationship

“…A further differentiation is often made between formal and informal volunteering: formal volunteering is "unpaid labour undertaken in the public sphere" (Oppenheimer, 2001 , p. 2) often in association with volunteer organizations while informal volunteering is less structured unpaid work, that occurs outside the scope of volunteer organizations, often in the form of lending assistance to neighbours or extended family (Ainsworth, Batty, & Burchielli, 2013 ). Those who adopt narrower defi nitions of volunteering exclude informal helping given to family members, arguing that familial obligation negates the 'voluntary' nature of voluntary work (e.g.…”

Just one of the guys until shower time: How symbolic embodiment threatens women's inclusion in the US military

“…Through repeated performance, gendered identities are established and maintained and the balance of power between masculinities and femininities is negotiated. As noted above, within traditionally masculine workplaces, women often adopt masculine patterns of dress, speech and cultural practices as a means of claiming honorary masculinity (Ainsworth, Batty, & Burchielli, 2014;Dryburgh, 1999;Greed, 2000;Maupin & Lehman, 1994;Pilgeram, 2007;Powell et al, 2009;Wasserman & Frenkel, 2015). As noted above, within traditionally masculine workplaces, women often adopt masculine patterns of dress, speech and cultural practices as a means of claiming honorary masculinity (Ainsworth, Batty, & Burchielli, 2014;Dryburgh, 1999;Greed, 2000;Maupin & Lehman, 1994;Pilgeram, 2007;Powell et al, 2009;Wasserman & Frenkel, 2015).…”