Tourism, Gender and the Labour Process: The Case of Quebec's Lower North Shore

Abstract

In an effort to better understand issues of inequality, power, and control in the development of tourism, growing numbers of researchers are turning their attention to the construction of gender relations in the industry. In an attempt to add to this burgeoning literature, this paper reviews the links that exist between tourism, gender, and the labour market on the Lower North Shore of Quebec (LNS). We first provide a brief review of gender based case studies from around the world. We then offer some historical background on gender participation in the traditional fisheries based economy of the LNS in order to determine how the current economic setting is both reinforcing and altering gender roles. Results from a semi-structured survey of 75 local businesses conducted in 1995 are used to evaluate the quality and type of direct employment in the accommodation, restaurant, arts and crafts, and tour operator sectors. Particular attention is paid to the access of men and women to varying employment opportunities. Our data illustrate that women are not only translating traditional domestic duties into money earning activities, but are also assuming new roles in an attempt to benefit from tourism's growth on the LNS.