Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the construction of master narratives related to age, gender and entrepreneurship in the context of entrepreneurship education (EE) in Finnish higher education (HE). This is important as master narratives create and limit our understanding of entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThe data comprises 30 student interviews generated in one multidisciplinary Finnish university. The data were analyzed using narrative positioning analysis to examine what kinds of master narratives are (re)constructed in relation to age and entrepreneurship by Finnish university students and how gender intertwines with age in the construction of entrepreneurship.FindingsThree aged and gendered master narratives were identified: (1) youthful, masculine, startup/growth entrepreneurship; (2) middle-aged feminine, expert entrepreneurship and (3) modest, feminine, senior entrepreneurship. The paper makes visible aged and gendered master narratives and cultural norms related to entrepreneurship in the context of EE and HE. Authors argue that the youthful, masculine startup/growth entrepreneurship is the hegemonic master narrative in the context of EE in Finnish HE. Femininity is mostly excluded from this master narrative.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to critical literature on entrepreneurship as an aged as well as gendered phenomenon in the context of EE and HE. So far research on entrepreneurship as an aged and gendered phenomenon in EE and in the context of HE has been virtually non-existent. Moreover, the theoretical and methodological focus on master narratives in entrepreneurship and EE literature is novel. The master narratives identified in the study show that HE students are not addressed equally in relation to entrepreneurship, but aged and gendered hierarchies are sustained.
Highlights
Entrepreneurship has become a key issue and a basic competence on the European educational and labor market policy agenda (Bacigalupo et al, 2016)
In this study we examine entrepreneurship as a social process in the context of entrepreneurship education (EE) and higher education (HE) and ask (1) What kinds of master narratives areconstructed in relation to age and entrepreneurship by Finnish university students? (2) How does gender intertwine with age in the construction of entrepreneurship? We will first discuss the construction of ideal entrepreneurs
In this study we set as our task to ask (1) What kinds of master narratives are constructed in relation to age and entrepreneurship by Finnish university students? (2) How does gender intertwine with age in the construction of entrepreneurship? Based on our analysis of 30 student interviews that were generated in the context of EE and Finnish HE we identified three aged and gendered master narratives on entrepreneurship: (1) youthful, masculine startup/growth entrepreneurship; (2) middle-aged, feminine, expert entrepreneurship and (3) modest, feminine senior entrepreneurship
Summary
Entrepreneurship has become a key issue and a basic competence on the European educational and labor market policy agenda (Bacigalupo et al, 2016). In supranational higher education (HE) policy, entrepreneurship is promoted through entrepreneurship education (EE) for all students across all disciplines (European Commission, 2008), but within technical fields of education in which the potential for economic growth is greatest (Laalo et al, 2019). Among European countries Finland has been at the forefront of promoting. © P€aivi Tuulikki Siivonen, Katri Komulainen, Kati Kasanen and Paula Kupiainen. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/ legalcode
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