IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/gender/v30y2023i3p862-880.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Passing as resistance through a Goffmanian approach: Normalized, defensive, strategic, and instrumental passing when LGBTQ+ individuals encounter institutions

Author

Listed:
  • Mustafa F. Ozbilgin
  • Cihat Erbil
  • Sibel Baykut
  • Rifat Kamasak

Abstract

Passing and coming out are two divergent individual strategies historically associated with the LGBTQ+ community as they struggle to fit in with normative expectations at work and in life. While coming out has gradually become more common in organizations and national contexts that offer safeguards for LGBTQ+ individuals, passing remains an option where no such measures are available. Drawing on interviews with working‐class LGBTQ+ individuals in a country with an adversarial context, that is, Turkey, we identify how varieties of passing, defined as acting and appearing to fit with the dominant sexual orientation and gender identity norms, are used as strategies of coping with institutional norms. Working‐class LGBTQ+ individuals are an important group to study as many draw their pride, power, and identity from their engagement with work and the labor market. Transcending the monolithic accounts of passing, we illustrate four variants of passing (i.e., normalized, defensive, strategic, and instrumental passing) that LGBTQ+ individuals deploy at work. Reflecting on the field study findings, we explicate how and why LGBTQ+ individuals choose to pass at work in each case.

Suggested Citation

  • Mustafa F. Ozbilgin & Cihat Erbil & Sibel Baykut & Rifat Kamasak, 2023. "Passing as resistance through a Goffmanian approach: Normalized, defensive, strategic, and instrumental passing when LGBTQ+ individuals encounter institutions," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 862-880, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:30:y:2023:i:3:p:862-880
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12928
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12928
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/gwao.12928?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Erin A. Cech & William R. Rothwell, 2020. "LGBT Workplace Inequality in the Federal Workforce: Intersectional Processes, Organizational Contexts, and Turnover Considerations," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(1), pages 25-60, January.
    2. Mueller, Frank, 2018. "Taking Goffman seriously: Developing Strategy-as-Practice," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 16-30.
    3. Mustafa Bilgehan Ozturk & Nick Rumens & Ahu Tatli, 2020. "Age, sexuality and hegemonic masculinity: Exploring older gay men’s masculinity practices at work," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 1253-1268, November.
    4. Bell, Myrtle P. & Özbilgin, Mustafa F. & Beauregard, T. Alexandra & Sürgevil, Olca, 2011. "Voice, silence, and diversity in 21st century organizations: strategies for inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 32094, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Lara Owen, 2022. "Stigma, sustainability, and capitals: A case study on the menstrual cup," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 1095-1112, July.
    6. Burak Sencer Atasoy, 2017. "Female Labour Force Participation in Turkey: The Role of Traditionalism," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(4), pages 675-706, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aleksi Soini, 2022. "A gay reflection on microaggressions, symbolic normativities, and pink hair," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1594-1611, September.
    2. Kaya, Ezgi, 2019. "Gender wage gap across the quantiles:What is the role of firm segregation?," Cardiff Economics Working Papers E2019/7, Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section.
    3. Altan Aldan, 2021. "Rising Female Labor Force Participation and Gender Wage Gap: Evidence From Turkey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 865-884, June.
    4. Yasemin Özerkek & Yasemin Özbal, 2017. "The Effects of Education and Marital Status on Women’s Labor Force Participation: A Regional Analysis of Turkey," Ekonomi-tek - International Economics Journal, Turkish Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 15-38, September.
    5. Dunne, Neil J. & Brennan, Niamh M. & Kirwan, Collette E., 2021. "Impression management and Big Four auditors: Scrutiny at a public inquiry," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    6. Matthew Egan & Barbara de Lima Voss, 2023. "Ephemeral promises of happiness: Coming out in the Australian accounting profession into the late 2010s," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2033-2048, November.
    7. Jens Rennstam & Katie Rose Sullivan, 2018. "Peripheral Inclusion Through Informal Silencing and Voice — A Study of LGB Officers in the Swedish Police," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 177-194, March.
    8. Neu, Dean & Saxton, Greg & Rahaman, Abu & Everett, Jeffery, 2019. "Twitter and social accountability: Reactions to the Panama Papers," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 38-53.
    9. Sandrine Frémeaux, 2020. "A Common Good Perspective on Diversity," Post-Print hal-03232779, HAL.
    10. Dario Sansone & Christopher S Carpenter, 2020. "Turing’s children: Representation of sexual minorities in STEM," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, November.
    11. Tamara L. Lee & Maite Tapia, 2021. "Confronting Race and Other Social Identity Erasures: The Case for Critical Industrial Relations Theory," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 74(3), pages 637-662, May.
    12. Berndt, Virginia Kuulei & Bell, Ann V., 2024. "Beyond knowledge: Introducing embodied aversion through the case of contraception," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    13. Valentin, Alvin Patrick M. & Hechanova, Ma Regina M., 2023. "Addressing plastic pollution through green consumption: Predicting intentions to use menstrual cups in the Philippines," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    14. BILAN Yuriy & OMRAN Emad Attia Mohamed, 2022. "Female Labour Force Participation and the Economic Development in Egypt," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bucharest Economic Academy, issue 01, March.
    15. Ernesto Noronha & Nidhi S. Bisht & Premilla D’Cruz, 2022. "From Fear to Courage: Indian Lesbians’ and Gays’ Quest for Inclusive Ethical Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 177(4), pages 779-797, May.
    16. Aziza Laguecir & Bernard Leca, 2018. "Strategies of visibility in contemporary surveillance settings: Insights from misconduct concealment in financial markets, Critical Perspectives on Accounting," Post-Print hal-01914996, HAL.
    17. Gedikli, Cigdem & Popli, Gurleen & Yilmaz, Okan, 2023. "The impact of intimate partner violence on women’s labour market outcomes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    18. Lila Skountridaki & W. Victoria Lee & Lilinaz Rouhani, 2024. "Missing voices: Office space discontent as a driving force in employee hybrid work preferences," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(1), pages 54-77, January.
    19. Abdullah Abdulmohsen Alfalih, 2022. "How to Develop Diversity Management Competencies in the Private Sector in Saudi Arabia," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, June.
    20. Faulconbridge, James R. & Muzio, Daniel, 2020. "Karl Polanyi on strategy: The effects of culture, morality and double-movements on embedded strategy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:30:y:2023:i:3:p:862-880. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0968-6673 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.