Research about gender, place and work highlighted at international conference
Some types of bodies pass unnoticed in some places, while others are seen as norm-breakers through their mere physical presence in the room. Few studies analyze how gender, work and place interact in the creation of an organizations' gender patterns, and how they affect the working conditions for women and men. Therefore, Ulrika Jansson, researcher and analyst at the National Secretariat for Gender Research at the University of Gothenburg, arranges two sessions for researchers at the international conference for The American Association of Geographers.
"The fact that work is gender-coded is well-established in research. Different occupations, positions and work tasks are gendered and marked, that is, assumed to be more or less suited for a certain gender" says Ulrika Jansson, who is organizing the sessions together with her research colleague Lena Grip at Karlstad University, Sweden.
The labor market is likewise a part of creating and recreating gendered identities. In other words, it is formed by perceptions of gender-specific ‘suitable’ tasks, but it is also a part in forming identities. Within organizations, notions are also created, on whether or not women or men are suited for a certain occupation or certain work tasks.
"To truly understand the gender division of labour, and how it affects the working conditions for women and men, the gender-coding of work and the gender-coding of place need to be understood as a unity. Therefore, we have invited researchers, who in different ways are interested in the collaboration between these different perspectives, to share their knowledge at the conference. We hope for many creative conversations in an international context, for further analysis and collaboration in the field" says Ulrika Jansson
The yearly conference for the American Association of Geographers (AAG) takes place on February 25 to March 1, and this year it’s is totally digital. The AAG is a nonprofit scientific and educational society founded in 1904. Its members from nearly 100 countries share interests in the theory, methods and practice of geography. The yearly conference is a forum to meet and share knowledge.
Please click here for more information about the sessions and the conference
Publications about the subject from the National Secretariat for Gender research, Sweden
Please note that two of the reports below are only available in Swedish.
