Male-dominated Contexts Research Articles

Women of Maguey and Mezcal: The Other Everyday Symbolic World of the Palenque

Objective: To explore and highlight the role of women in the production of maguey and mezcal in Oaxaca, with the aim of analyzing how they have resisted and adapted to the dynamics of gender, class, and ethnicity that have historically limited their participation in a male-dominated context. Theoretical Framework: It is based on María Lugones' theory of coloniality, Pierre Bourdieu's concept of male domination, and Henri Lefebvre's concept of everyday life. Method: Qualitative research through semi-structured interviews with women mezcal producers and observations in palenques. Results and Discussion: It is revealed that women mezcal producers have played a crucial but historically invisible role in mezcal production. Despite barriers of gender, class, and ethnicity, they have redefined their role in palenques, gaining recognition within their communities. However, they still face cultural and structural challenges that limit their full participation and visibility in the mezcal market. Research Implications: There is a need to revalue the role of women in mezcal production, promoting inclusion and recognition. The visibility of women mezcal producers could transform gender dynamics and open economic and social opportunities. Originality/Value: This research highlights the role of women mezcal producers, providing a gendered and decolonial perspective. It reveals their resistance in a traditionally male-dominated space, suggesting new inclusion policies in rural sectors.

Beyond allies and recipients: Exploring observers’ allyship emulation in response to leader allyship

Leader allyship can be an important tool for advancing workplace gender equality; however, its ultimate effectiveness may depend on the reactions of those who witness it. Specifically, male observers can enhance allyship efforts by emulating their leader’s allyship or, conversely, undermine them by decreasing their allyship emulation. Across four studies, we explore why, when, and how ally leaders may encourage rather than discourage such allyship emulation. We find that observers’ identification with the leader drives their allyship emulation. Yet, this identification is contingent on the gender demography of the workgroup, as witnessing leader allyship lowers identification with the leader in male-dominated contexts. Further, how leaders engage in allyship matters for observers’ identification. Performative allyship lowers identification across both gender-balanced and male-dominated contexts, while authentic allyship increases identification and subsequent allyship emulation only in gender-balanced contexts. Finally, leaders can increase allyship emulation through identification in male-dominated workplaces with allyship-related storytelling.

The role of women as change agents in a male-dominated context: Empirical findings from the transport and mobility industry.

A variety of scholars deal with change agents' role within change processes and highlight their relevance as role models in an organisation, but there are shortcomings. First, research on the impact of change processes has traditionally focused on the impact on employees' (change recipients') wellbeing but only limited attention has been paid to the impact on change agents' own well-being, resilience, and health. Second, studies that reflect on female CAs' well-being are missed. This study aims to enhance our knowledge on the role of women as change agents in analysing their perceived self-efficacy during change and their job satisfaction as job-related dimension of wellbeing. We applied a mixed-method design, conducting two studies based on data from 71 specialists - change agents - working in the transport or mobility departments of seven local authorities participating in the H2020 CIVITAS SUITS project, from six different countries, Greece, Spain, Italy, Romania, United Kingdom, and Lithuania. The first quantitative survey shows that female change agents may have to perceive higher levels of self-efficacy during organisational change to perceive similar levels of job satisfaction as men. The second qualitative study (focus groups) provides more in-depth explanations of these results. This allows us to derive managerial implications to prevent decreases in women's well-being and strengthen their resilience and health during change. This mixed-method study highlights the role of women as change agents, driving organisational change within male-dominated transport departments of local authorities. Our results show that female change agents need extra support in managing change processes within male-dominated contexts as the transport and mobility field to avoid a decrease in their perceived job satisfaction, their well-being and herewith, their physical and mental health.

Are Leadership Preferences Gendered? A Conjoint Analysis of Employee Preferences for Manager Characteristics in Male- and Female-Dominated Public Sub-Sectors in the Netherlands

This article examines the consequences of stereotypical beliefs regarding gender, traits, and leadership styles for manager preferences in public organizational contexts that differ as to the gender composition of their workforce. It is hypothesized that employee preferences for male, agentic, and/or transactional managers relative to female, communal, and/or transformational managers are stronger in male-dominated contexts than in female-dominated contexts. Hypotheses are tested through a conjoint survey experiment among 2,757 Dutch public sector employees in education, police, and defense. Findings show that there is a stronger preference for communal managers over agentic managers in both contexts, independent of the manager’s gender. In contrast, employee preferences for transactional leadership relative to transformational leadership are stronger in male-dominated contexts than in female-dominated contexts and vice versa, also independent of the gender of the manager. The article discusses the implications of the study’s findings for the study of gender and leadership preferences.

Managing the Double Bind: Women Directors’ Participation Tactics in the Gendered Boardroom

Women leaders who fail to manage the double bind by displaying both warmth and competence can face backlash, creating pressure for women to invest thought, time, and effort into their self-presentation. Research to date lacks theoretical insights around how women in the highest levels of leadership manage the double bind in natural settings. Our inductive study of interviews with 43 women directors on U.S. publicly traded company boards offers an insider’s perspective of participation tactics that women use to manage the double bind in male-dominated contexts. We found two features unique to advisory roles—a requirement that advisors possess a large breadth of knowledge and a time constraint whereby advisors meet less frequently with their peers—that suggest women directors adapt and learn how to participate on gendered boards. We uncovered six gendered participation tactics that mitigate stereotypical concerns for women to appear warm and/or competent on boards. We further reveal how women directors selectively use specific gendered participation tactics over others to effectively achieve their participation aims, which, in turn, helps them avoid backlash for mismanaging the double bind. Finally, we find that this matching process is constrained by the amount and scope of use related to the unique features of the advisory role. The emergence and trade-offs between the use of these novel gendered participation tactics deepen our theoretical understanding of women’s participation in advisory roles. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1599 .

Corrigendum for Distancing or drawing together: Sexism and organisational tolerance of sexism impact women's social relationships at work

European Journal of Social PsychologyVolume 52, Issue 1 p. 223-223 CORRIGENDUMFree Access Corrigendum for Distancing or drawing together: Sexism and organisational tolerance of sexism impact women's social relationships at work This article corrects the following: Distancing or drawing together: Sexism and organisational tolerance of sexism impact women's social relationships at work Esma Esen Ciftci, Manuela Barreto, David Matthew Doyle, Jolien Breen, Safi Darden, Volume 50Issue 6European Journal of Social Psychology pages: 1157-1172 First Published online: July 7, 2020 First published: 09 February 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2815AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat In Ciftci et al. (2020), there is an error in the results of Study 3. The statistics showing the effect of experience of sexism on women's social closeness to their female colleagues was reported as: b = −.28, t(370) = −2.42, p = .02, 95% CI [−.50, −.05] This statistic should have been: b = .28, t(370) = 2.42, p = .02, 95% CI [.05, .50] Because of this error, one reported interpretation of this study was that experiences of sexism led women to report weaker closeness with other women at work. However, the interpretation should be: Experiences of sexism led women to report greater closeness with other women at work. Below are the specific corrections related to this error: In section 4.2.1 of the original version, it reads: “Results showed a statistically significant main effect of sexism, b = −.28, t(370) = −2.42, p = .02, 95% CI [−.50, −.05], indicating that recalling sexism led women to report weaker closeness with other women at work, in line with Hypothesis 1.” This text should instead read: “Results showed a statistically significant main effect of sexism, b = .28, t(370) = 2.42, p = .02, 95% CI [.05, .50], indicating that recalling sexism led women to report greater closeness with other women at work, contradicting Hypothesis 1.” In section 4.3 of the original version, it reads: “Here, we found suggestive evidence for Hypothesis 1 on the measure of closeness; experiences of sexism led women to report reduced closeness with their female colleagues in this study. Moreover, we again found evidence in support of our second hypothesis…” This should instead read: “Here, we found that experiences of sexism led women to report increased closeness with their female colleagues in this study, which does not support Hypothesis 1. However, we again found evidence in support of our second hypothesis…” Finally, the following paragraph in section 5 of the original version should now not be included in the article. This paragraph read: “Although evidence for distancing was not consistently found, there was some evidence that experiences with sexism led women to report less closeness with other women in Study 4. This finding is consistent with some past work (Derks, Ellemers et al., 2011; Derks, Van Laar et al., 2011; Parks-Stamm et al., 2007; Doyle & Molix, 2014b). Previous work has shown distancing effects, but this was in the context of male-dominated work environments (Ely, 1994; Derks, Ellemers at al., 2011). The current work was not specifically focused on male-dominated contexts, but still we find some evidence that women may distance themselves from others following experiences of sexism.” These corrections affect the interpretation of one main effect in one of the 3 studies reported in the manuscript. The focus of the manuscript as a whole was on testing whether any effects of experienced sexism at work are moderated by organisational climate. Interactive effects relating to this focus were correctly reported. As such, this error does not affect the overall conclusions of this article. REFERENCE Ciftci, E. E., Barreto, M., Doyle, D. M., van Breen, J., & Darden, S. (2020). Distancing or drawing together: Sexism and organisational tolerance of sexism impact women's social relationships at work. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50, 1157– 1172. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2695Wiley Online LibraryWeb of Science®Google Scholar Volume52, Issue1February 2022Pages 223-223 ReferencesRelatedInformation

On the Periphery: Examining Women’s Exclusion From Core Leadership Roles in the “Extremely Gendered” Organization of Men’s Club Football in England

In this article, we frame men’s club football as an “extremely gendered” organization to explain the underrepresentation of women leaders within the industry. By analyzing women’s leadership work over a 30-year period, we find that women’s inclusion has been confined to a limited number of occupational areas. These areas are removed, in terms of influence and proximity, from the male players and the playing of football. These findings reveal a gendered substructure within club football that maintains masculine dominance in core football leadership roles and relegates women to a position of peripheral inclusion in leadership roles. Through a discourse analysis of gender pay gap reports, we show that men’s football clubs legitimize women’s peripheral inclusion by naturalizing male dominance at the organizational core. These findings are significant because they demonstrate that men’s football clubs, as masculinity-conferring organizations, have excluded women from core roles to maintain their masculine character while superficially accepting women into roles that do not challenge the association of football with hegemonic masculinity. Therefore, organizational change may be possible only if women are granted greater access to core organizational roles. Here, we offer a new theoretical framework for “extremely gendered” organizations that can be applied to other sporting and male-dominated contexts to analyze women’s access to core leadership roles.

The erosion of nongambling spheres by smartphone gambling: A qualitative study on workplace and domestic disordered gambling

The potential dangers of internet-based gambling as compared with more traditional land-based gambling have been increasingly investigated over the past decade. The general consensus appears to be that although internet gambling might not be a more dangerous medium for gambling per se, the 24/7 availability it generates for problem gamblers, however, is. Because smartphones have become the most used way of gambling online, internet gambling must, therefore, be further subcategorized according to the device by which it is accessed. This study examines the issue by exploring the views of smartphone gamblers undergoing treatment for gambling disorder in focus group settings ( N=35). Utilizing thematic analysis, the paper shows that smartphone gambling has colonized spaces previously regarded as nongambling spheres. The workplace, especially in male-dominated contexts, emerged as an accommodator and stimulator of gambling behavior, raising issues of productivity rather than criminality. Domestic gambling was mostly characterized by an invasion of bathroom and bedtime spheres of intimacy. The study examines the implications of prevention and treatment, focusing on the minimization of exposure to gambling stimuli, the erosion of intimacy that recovering gamblers must endure, and the necessity of embracing a broader definition of gambling-related harm.

The Gendered Networking of Diplomats

Summary The aim of this study is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the gendered condi- tions under which diplomats network. We still have limited knowledge of how female diplomats network when serving abroad in strongly male-dominated contexts. To what extent do they experience token tendencies (visibility, assimilation and contrast) and how are these tendencies perceived to affect their access to important contacts? Based on 28 interviews with diplomats and civil servants from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA), this study compares how female and male diplomats are expected and perceived to network. The results indicate that the greater visibility of female diplomats makes them assimilate to a stereotypical gender role that closely resembles that of diplomatic wives. Women thus legitimise their presence in the MFA and make it less intrusive. Still, they experience contrast in silent resistance and con- stant reminders of their presence in a gender-inappropriate profession.

The portrayal of victims of intimate femicide in the South African media

Abstract This article reflects on the murders of Reeva Steenkamp (2013), Jayde Panayiotou (2015), Susan Rhode (2016) and Karabo Mokoena (2017) and questions how victims of intimate femicide are portrayed in the South African media. Media reporting on intimate femicide clearly illustrates how the murder of women by their intimate partners, are framed as isolated incidents rather than a systemic problem situated within a social context of male dominance. It is therefore increasingly important to understand how the media portrays victimhood and violence. This article explores how the murder of women by their partners are rarely classified as femicide, and how the media’s portrayal of these murders fails to convey the systemic nature of violence against women that also entrenches racial and class-based oppression by seemingly valuing some lives more than others. The focus is on the power of the media to obscure the nature of intimate partner violence, which entrenches a notion of ideal victimhood. In conclusion, the South African government’s response to this form of violence is explored, and the need for responsible reporting is called for in reporting on cases of intimate femicide.

Entry barriers and “Glass Roof” in University Management in Colombia

Management in the context of higher education has been characterized by the predominance of male participation, mainly in senior management positions. As a result, women’s low participation is mainly concentrated in lower management positions, and their chances of escalating hierarchical positions are mediated by various factors ranging from subjective to socially naturalized. The objective of this research is to analyze the barriers women face to enter and escalate positions in university management in Colombia. Under a qualitative design, 26 semi-structured interviews were applied to university managers from different institutions of higher education in Colombia. The transcripts were analyzed using discourse analysis through three categories: individual, internal, and external barriers of the university. It was found that women face entry and promotion barriers marked by experiences, and conditions of inequality and discrimination in a male-dominated context. These barriers are conditioned by personal elements, organizational culture, and the social role of women. In addition, women’s trajectories involve mediation between professional development and family life. The study reveals experiences that contribute to understanding the research phenomenon from the webbing of senses and meanings. It is posited that the “glass ceiling” is mediated by variables in the internal order, and by the relationship between universities and their context.

Can Self-Affirmation Reduce Backlash?

In this paper, we explore self-affirmation as an intervention to reduce backlash, focusing specifically on the negative cognitive and emotional reactions that men experience with women striving to succeed in male-dominated contexts. In three studies of male-dominated work contexts, we show that men report a lower willingness to work with women than men, and this unwillingness stems from two related factors: anxiety and perceived dominance behaviors. We find that self- affirmation reduces male anxiety at the prospect of working with women and, as a consequence, makes men less likely to evaluate women as dominant and, therefore, more willing to work with them. Our findings suggest that self-affirmation could be a valuable intervention to alleviate gender discrimination.

Heart Rate Variability Moderates Challenge and Threat Reactivity to Sexism Among Women in STEM

Abstract. Using a biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat, we tested resting heart rate variability (HRV) as a moderator of physiological reactivity after experiencing sexism. Women science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors participated in a mock interview in which the male interviewer made a sexist or neutral comment. Resting HRV moderated physiological stress reactivity among women in the sexism condition, but not control, indicating lower resting HRV predicted greater physiological threat than challenge and higher resting HRV predicted greater physiological challenge than threat during the interview. These findings support the emotion regulation properties of HRV as applied to a biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat. Higher resting HRV may be adaptive for women experiencing sexism in male-dominated contexts like STEM.

Fresh Strange Music: Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Language. Donald S. Hair. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015. Pp. viii+301.

<i>Fresh Strange Music: Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Language</i>. Donald S. Hair. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015. Pp. viii+301.

A New Way of Doing Politics? Cross-Party Women's Caucuses as Critical Actors in Uganda and Uruguay

Many parliaments now include specialised bodies to further women's interests in the legislative process. In this article, we compare cross-party women's caucuses in two non-Western countries—Uganda and Uruguay—which, despite very different levels of women's descriptive representation, spurred public debate on women's issues and made significant legislative gains. We explore how female legislators in these two cases collectively were able to carve out institutional space in male-dominated contexts and successfully establish themselves as critical actors for the substantive representation of women. Both women's caucuses facilitated networking and collaboration among female parliamentarians from different parties and between legislators and the women's movement, as well as building strategic alliances with male colleagues.

Too Masculine, Too Bad

This study challenges researchers and practitioners in the field of leadership to consider communion as a relevant variable for (male) leadership effectiveness. We suggest that communal traits influence the ability of male leaders to engender cooperation and that this effect is stronger in male-dominated contexts. We argue that this is because relevant traits and leadership behaviors that underscore a sense of community are associated with stereotypically feminine roles and identity. In a series of three studies, experimental as well as survey-based, using Spanish, Dutch, and American samples, we examined such gendered construction of male leadership and its effects on cooperation. Among others, results are discussed in terms of how stereotypically masculine constructions of male leadership may create barriers to effective leadership.

Eighteenth-century Female English Grammar Writers: Their ‘Critical’ Voice in the Prefaces to Their Grammars&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;

The eighteenth century was a crucial period in the history of English grammar writing. The purpose of this study is to carry out a critical discourse analysis on the prefaces of some English grammars written for schools by female English grammar-writers. In a male-dominated context of grammar production, prefaces turned into strategic instruments which allowed female grammarians to make their voices heard. By examining identification systems (Martin 1992) and transitivity structures (Halliday 2004), this study will illustrate the discourse patterns employed by female grammarians to exercise authority and to produce a persuasive effect on the reader.

Sex-based harassment in employment: New insights into gender and context.

Legal definitions of sex-based harassment have evolved over the decades; it is important that social science perspectives on this phenomenon evolve as well. This study seeks to refine our understanding of conditions in which sex-based harassment thrives, with empirical evidence from three organizations. Previous research has suggested that underrepresentation of one's gender in the employment context increases risk for sex-based harassment. This work has focused mainly on sexual-advance forms of harassment, mainly in the lives of women. Less is known about the gender harassment of women, or about any kind of harassment of men. Extending this scholarship, we analyzed survey data from women and men working in three diverse domains: academia (N = 847), the court system (N = 1,158), and the military (N = 19,960). Across all samples, the underrepresentation of women in a workgroup related to increased odds of women experiencing gender harassment, but not sexual-advance harassment. For men, the opposite pattern emerged: underrepresentation did not increase men's risk for either type of harassment, instead relating to decreased odds of harassment in some contexts. We interpret these results in light of theories of tokenism, gender stereotyping, and sex role spillover in organizations. Our findings support the recommendation that, to reduce harassment (whether it be illegal or legal, gender- or sexuality-based, targeted at women or men), organizations should strive for gender balance in every job at every level. For male-dominated contexts, this implies a need to recruit, retain, and integrate more women throughout the organizational hierarchy.

The “Hybrid Hero” in Western Dime Novels

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore how dress - including cross-dressing and androgynous dress - was used within the Deadwood Dick series to construct meanings about gender and identity. The research was informed by the works of Judith Butler and Erving Goffman and by reflection theory. Data were collected by extracting references to dress within five Deadwood Dick novels featuring Calamity Jane. Analyses revealed overarching themes related to traditionally feminine dress, androgynous dress, and cross-dressing. Transitions in ideological views of 19th century womanhood are reflected in the dime novels' alterations in appearance and gender performance that enabled female characters to act in expanded spheres. Androgyny allowed characters to adopt nontraditional gender identities, giving the freedom to participate in male-dominated contexts. Cross-dressing provided characters a means of navigating temporary changes in space and place. Findings provide a reflection of the evolving national character present in 19th century American society.

Supportive When Not Supported? Male Responses to Negative Climates for Women

This study examined the relationship between perceived climate for women and job satisfaction in a male-dominated context, focusing on moderating variables which may augment or decrease this relationship for men. Specifically, it was predicted that job satisfaction will be lower for women and men in a male-dominated context when they perceive a negative climate for women, but that this relationship will be moderated for men based on the levels of support and exclusion they experience. Using a sample of 239 (75.7% male) professors, staff, graduate assistants, and undergraduate assistants in a male-dominated science department of a large Midwestern university, we found that perceptions of a negative climate for women were significantly related to lower reports of job satisfaction for both women and men. However, perceived organizational support moderated this relationship, such that the job satisfaction of men who felt highly supported by the organization were unaffected by the perceived climate for women. Discussion and implications of results are included.