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Why is the gender revolution uneven and stalled? Gender essentialism and men's movement into ‘women's work'

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  • Megan Moskos

Abstract

Men's limited movement into female occupations has been identified as a key barrier to future declines in occupational sex segregation and achieving greater gender equality. So why are men so reticent to enter jobs normatively regarded as female? Drawing from qualitative interviews with multiple stakeholders in four female‐dominated occupations in Australia, this article documents the processes that influence men's employment in gender‐atypical jobs. Gender essentialism is central to many processes that generate and/or stall changes in men's representation in female‐dominated occupations. While gender essentialism's role in producing and reproducing occupation sex segregation is well known, its role in reducing occupational sex segregation is a critical process which has previously received limited attention. The article details gender essentialism's integrative function.

Suggested Citation

  • Megan Moskos, 2020. "Why is the gender revolution uneven and stalled? Gender essentialism and men's movement into ‘women's work'," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 527-544, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:27:y:2020:i:4:p:527-544
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12406
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dorn, David & Autor, David & Hanson, Gordon, 2017. "When Work Disappears: Manufacturing Decline and the Falling Marriage-Market Value of Men," CEPR Discussion Papers 11878, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Alison Preston & Gillian Whitehouse, 2004. "Gender Differences in Occupation of Employment within Australia," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 7(3), pages 309-327, September.
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    5. Paul W. Miller & Yew Liang Lee, 2004. "Occupational Segregation on the Basis of Gender: the Role of Entry-level Jobs," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 7(3), pages 355-374, September.
    6. Martin Watts, 2003. "The Evolution of Occupational Gender Segregation in Australia: Measurement and Interpretation," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 6(4), pages 631-655, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Giulio Marini & Viviana Meschitti, 2025. "Shielding the few and perpetrating the pattern for the many: interaction of gender discrimination and status in predicting promotion," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Karin Schwiter & Julia Nentwich & Marisol Keller, 2021. "Male privilege revisited: How men in female‐dominated occupations notice and actively reframe privilege," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 2199-2215, November.
    3. Alison Sheridan & Lucie Newsome, 2021. "Tempered disruption: Gender and agricultural professional services," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3), pages 1040-1058, May.

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