Miranda Leontowitsch, Aivita Putnina, Marcus Andersson, Charlotta Niemistö, Rafaela Werny, Hanna Sjögren, Ilze Mileiko, Kārlis Lakševics, Artūrs Pokšāns, Māra Neikena, Līna Orste, Camilla Malm, Frank Oswald, Jeff Hearn and Clary Krekula
The digital age requires people of all ages to communicate and organise their lives through digital technologies. The project EQualCare investigates how the growing population of…
Abstract
Purpose
The digital age requires people of all ages to communicate and organise their lives through digital technologies. The project EQualCare investigates how the growing population of older people living alone is managing this transition, how it shapes their (non-)digital social networks and what changes on a local level need to be brought about. This paper aims to give insight into the process of participatory action research (PAR) with older people in the community across four countries and reflects on experiences made by academic and co-researchers.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the emancipatory underpinnings of PAR, which aims to reduce inequalities through collaboration and co-design, EQualCare involved nine teams of co-researchers across Finland, Germany, Latvia and Sweden making older people the centre of policy development. Co-researchers were involved in formulating research aims, collecting data, reflecting on data, formulating and disseminating recommendations for local policy stakeholders.
Findings
Co-researchers’ motivation to invest considerable time and effort was driven by a desire to create a more equal future for older people living alone. Moreover, they were keen to involve marginalised older people and became frustrated when this proved difficult. Power dynamics played a role throughout the process but became productive as roles and responsibilities were renegotiated. Doing PAR with older people can be emotionally challenging for co-researchers when negative feelings around ageing are encountered.
Originality/value
The paper advances understanding on the process of PAR in ageing research by reflecting on the social, cultural and political contexts of doing PAR with diverse sets of older people.
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Vic Blake, Jeff Hearn, David Jackson, Randy Barber, Richard Johnson and Zbyszek Luczynski
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the process of participating in a long-term collective memory work group of older men, focusing on the making/unmaking of older men and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the process of participating in a long-term collective memory work group of older men, focusing on the making/unmaking of older men and masculinities, and the potential of memory work with older men.
Design/methodology/approach
Participant review and reflection on collective memory work with a group of older men.
Findings
Collective memory work provides a novel way to explore ageing, gendering, men, and masculinities. Its potential for working with older men is examined critically in relation to gender politics, power and (in)equalities, interconnections and contradictions of men’s ageing and gendering, the personal and the political, as well as working with older men more generally, including those in transition and crisis.
Originality/value
There is little previous writing on this approach to ageing, men, and masculinities. The paper aims to stimulate wider applications of this approach.
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Vic Blake, Jeff Hearn, Randy Barber, David Jackson, Richard Johnson and Zbyszek Luczynski
The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of setting up and participating in a collective memory work group of older men, with a focus on the making and unmaking of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of setting up and participating in a collective memory work group of older men, with a focus on the making and unmaking of older men and masculinities through age, ageing, gender, gendering, and other intersections.
Design/methodology/approach
Participant review and reflection on collective of memory work group of older men.
Findings
Memory work is located in relation to related but different forms of writing and group work, emphasizing how in this method everyone becomes a writer, an author, a listener, a reader, a discussant, and a commentator. This provides a novel way to explore the constructions and intersections of ageing, gender, men, and masculinities.
Social implications
The potential of memory work, both for working with older men, and more generally is outlined. Key issues are: genuine and collective commitment to substantive change, not just at a personal level, but also at wider social/political/cultural levels; willingness to trust in the other members of the group, an issue that may be difficult for some men; and commitment for caring for one another especially in their moments of greatest vulnerability.
Originality/value
There is little, if any, other writing on this approach to ageing, men, and masculinities. The paper is therefore of great value, and may stimulate wider application of this approach.
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Charlotta Niemistö, Jeff Hearn, Mira Karjalainen and Annamari Tuori
Privilege is often silent, invisible and not made explicit, and silence is a key question for theorizing on organizations. This paper examines interrelations between privilege and…
Abstract
Purpose
Privilege is often silent, invisible and not made explicit, and silence is a key question for theorizing on organizations. This paper examines interrelations between privilege and silence for relatively privileged professionals in high-intensity knowledge businesses (KIBs).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on 112 interviews in two rounds of interviews using the collaborative interactive action research method. The analysis focuses on processes of recruitment, careers and negotiation of boundaries between work and nonwork in these KIBs. The authors study how relative privilege within social inequalities connects with silences in multiple ways, and how the invisibility of privilege operates at different levels: individual identities and interpersonal actions of privilege (micro), as organizational level phenomena (meso) or as societally constructed (macro).
Findings
At each level, privilege is reproduced in part through silence. The authors also examine how processes connecting silence, privilege and social inequalities operate differently in relation to both disadvantage and the disadvantaged, and privilege and the privileged.
Originality/value
This study is relevant for organization studies, especially in the kinds of “multi-privileged” contexts where inequalities, disadvantages and subordination may remain hidden and silenced, and, thus, are continuously reproduced.
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“The dark” has long been associated with women. An attempt is made here to show how the “dark” can be seen as a valuable and significant concept for women understanding themselves…
Abstract
“The dark” has long been associated with women. An attempt is made here to show how the “dark” can be seen as a valuable and significant concept for women understanding themselves as women and their situation for developing a view towards the concept of “power”. Women, as women, have a responsibility to themselves and others to make their voices heard and to become aware of their particular strengths and to develop these strengths both inside and outside existing organisations. Most current organisations are “male‐dominated” and “male” in approach. Both men and women are frequently unaware of the extent to which they are influenced and operating from a gender‐specific approach. Men and women can equally shape their organisations when women reclaim their strengths and refuse their position as a less important, less informed, “minority” status. The issues of conflict and trust in organisations and problem areas in relationships between women are explored.
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The purpose of this paper is to reflect, personally, regarding work, politically and theoretically, on 40 years of involvement in organization studies, profeminism and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect, personally, regarding work, politically and theoretically, on 40 years of involvement in organization studies, profeminism and intersectionality.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses autoethnography.
Findings
The paper shows the need for a broad notion of the field and fieldwork, the development of intersectional thinking, the complexity of men's relations to feminism and intersectionality and the need to both name and deconstruct men in the research field.
Research limitations/implications
The paper suggests a more explicit naming and deconstruction of men and other intersectional social categories in doing research.
Practical implications
The paper suggests a more explicit naming and deconstruction of men and other intersectional social categories in equality practice.
Social implications
The paper suggests a more explicit naming and deconstruction of men and other intersectional social categories in social, political and policy interventions.
Originality/value
The paper points to recent historical changes in the connections between feminism, gender, profeminism, organizations and intersectionality in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion.
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Concerns the relationships between the problem of men, the problemof management, and the management of change, which are considered interms of the mutuality of men′s power and the…
Abstract
Concerns the relationships between the problem of men, the problem of management, and the management of change, which are considered in terms of the mutuality of men′s power and the power of management: men′s behaviour in management may be oppressive, men numerically dominate management, and men′s domination of the structure of organizations and management. Outlines some of the ways in which men have attempted to change in response to feminism and describes ways in which management can be changed, including reducing the number of men in management, changing men′s behaviour, issues of sexuality and violence, and challenging men in management to clarify where they stand in relation to sexism and feminism.
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Adelina Broadbridge and Jeff Hearn
To introduce the special issue.
Abstract
Purpose
To introduce the special issue.
Design/methodology/approach
A brief description of the Gender and Management track at the European Academy of Management Conference and an outline of the papers in the issue.
Findings
The track examined various issues and the papers chosen from the track for the special issue are closest to the central concerns of the journal.
Originality/value
Provides a summary of the perspectives considered.
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This introductory article of the Special Issue on ‘Men, Masculinities and Leadership’ provides some necessary background information for the other articles in the issue. It…
Abstract
This introductory article of the Special Issue on ‘Men, Masculinities and Leadership’ provides some necessary background information for the other articles in the issue. It outlines major social changes that have contributed to the disassociation of leadership and maleness, and the more general reappraisal of men's leadership. The major focus of the article is a review of literature on leadership seen in terms of it being the theories and practices of men. The article continues with discussions of the nature of feminism, and feminist challenges to men and leadership, and the crisis of men and masculinities; and concludes with men's responses to these changes, in men's groups, and mixed group and organisational contexts.