A gender perspective on work-related accidents

Abstract

The key argument in the article is that a perspective on gender and masculinity could be beneficial to safety research. The aim is to outline a theoretical framework for combining gender research and safety research. In the first part of the article four strands of gender and masculinity theory relevant to safety researchers are introduced: The first position outlined is the theory of hegemonic masculinity which highlights the privileged position of men who represent dominant and legitimate form of masculinity. The next two positions outlined represent a classic distinction in gender theory between an approach conceptualizing gender as a relatively stable category and an approach underlining that gender is constantly produced and reproduced. Finally the notion of intersectionality which emphasizes the mutual interaction between different categories such as gender, class, age, and ethnicity is outlined. The second part of the article re-interprets two examples of existing outstanding safety research which have all been published in Safety Science. The two contributions are re-interpreted through a gender lens illustrating how gender and masculinity perspectives can be crucial for understandings of safety and the practices that lead to work-related accidents. The article concludes that the gender perspective is useful to expand the knowledge about safety and work-accidents in relation to for instance pride and bodily strength as well as the struggles between different masculinities.