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Title: The postfeminist ideology at work: Endorsing gender essentialism and denying feminine devaluation in the case of design work

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2018

ISBN:

ISSN:

DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12221

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Abstract: Feminist scholars define ‘postfeminism’ as a set of ideas that bothendorse and disavow feminism. Recent work documentspostfeminism in interviews of women talking about experienceswith gender inequality at work. The present study extends existingtheorizations by showing how postfeminism obfuscates ongoinginequality at work. To do this I specify postfeminism in the termsof two mechanisms by which work becomes gender typed: genderessentialization and feminine devaluation. By relating the literatureon postfeminism to sociological research on the persistence of gen-der typing of work, I show how ‘postfeminist ideology’ amounts to adouble entanglement with gender typed work. In other words, post-feminist ideology drives distinct stances towards genderessentialization and feminine devaluation. I draw on 40 interviewswith product designers in the United States to show this presentsempirically. Designers essentialize differences between men andwomen designers, even mobilizing difference to claim greater inclu-sion of women designers, who are thought to empathize best withwomen consumers. Yet when essentialization is accompanied byfeminine devaluation, designers deny it and it goes unrecognized.Because of this, the postfeminist ideology celebrates essentializedgendered differences, but insists on overlooking devaluation, whichis a key element of ongoing gender inequality.

Url: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gwao.12221/epdf

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Authors: Ronen, Shelly

Periodical (Full): Gender, Work, and Organization

Issue: 5

Volume: 25

Pages: 514-530

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Gender

Countries: United States