The woman as problem and solution—analysis of a gender equality initiative within the Swedish Rescue Services

Abstract

The woman as problem and solution: analysis of a gender equality initiative within the Swedish Rescue Services.

Volunteering masculinities in search and rescue work: Is there “a place for girls on the team”?

“…Relatedly, material objects such as (power) tools associated with SAR work were “gendered male” as they required excessive strength to operate, as historically did the scythe, the weight of which disadvantaged previous generations of women. In our case, aesthetic differences were made visible, through inappropriately oversized uniforms that took the male body as default (Gatens, 1996), as well as a lack of appropriate facilities to accommodate women's physical needs (Grip et al., 2016).…”

“…A level playing field would provide women with suitable tools and aids, but rather than surfacing a more nuanced critique concerning why material objects are calibrated to default male settings, there is a tendency to reinforce differences. For example, participants in the fire service confined talk of gender to “perceived differences between men and women in physical strength” or the lack of women within the service (Harrison, 2015, p. 215), thereby colluding with contradictory discourses that situated women as problematic due to both their presence and absence (Grip, Engström, Krekula, & Karlsson, 2016). Crucially, these practices are performative, rather than predetermined, since inequalities depend not only on “a set of structures and conditions which delimit the typical situation of being a woman in a particular society” (Young, 1980, p. 140), but also on how men, and women “live by” these mores in any given situation.…”

To stand in line and fit in—About military men's (un)reflected navigation in the armed forces

“…Against the background, together with the view of the Armed Forces as a total institution (Goffman, 1968), we can understand that gender equality work in the Armed Forces is difficult to implement and instead contributes to inaction and a reluctance to change. Another explanation for why the work of gender equality is slow in the organization may be what others point out in other male‐dominated organizations: that gender equality initiatives are eroded because gender equality work is expected to be accomplished by the women themselves (Ericson, 2014; Grip et al., 2016; Prenzler & Sinclair, 2013). Moreover, it is difficult to produce action plans for something subtle as hidden resistance (Acker, 2006).…”

Gender Equalities in Entrepreneurship: How Close, Or Far, Have We Come in Italy?

“…At this stage, a preliminary reflection about gender equality is necessary. Even if it seems that something is changing in reference to gender equality -meaning that in reference to economic and working decisions both men and women can access to resources and opportunities and in reference to everyday life both men and women can behave and express their expectations and needs in a different way (Kabeer, 2005(Kabeer, , 2016Lewis & Giullari, 2005;Grip et al, 2016) -some differences between male and female entrepreneurs still exist in Italy.…”