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- Ahl, Helene, 1958-
(författare)
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A Foucauldian framework for discourse analysis
- 2007
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Ingår i: Handbook of qualitative research methods in entrepreneurship. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar. - 1843768356 ; , s. 216-250
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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- Ahl, Helene, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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A theory of conditional social equality in learning groups
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper is inspired by an observation that challenges the theory of cumulative advantage/disadvantage (CAD). CAD says that not only are we born with unequal conditions, inequalities in any given characteristic, such as money, health, or status increase over time (Dannefer, 2003:327). People with educated parents tend to become well educated, and vice versa, and people with a higher level of education tend to engage in adult learning throughout their lives, while those with only compulsory school do not, which in turn effects their health, well-being and quality of life negatively. CAD is a somewhat deterministic theory, inviting ideas of what could be done to counteract such processes.Observations to this effect were made in studies of Men’s Sheds. Men’s sheds are community-based workshops offering men beyond paid work “somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to” (Golding 2015). Starting in Australia in the 1990s, it is a growing social movement with over 2000 Sheds worldwide (http://mensshed.org). The target group is largely retired working-class men; a group disadvantaged in terms of education, health, income and social status. However, Sheds attract men from all walks of life; also some well-educated and professional men.The Sheds have been found to benefit older men’s learning, health, well-being, and social integration. Traditional class divisions were erased, and participants were able to relinquish stereotypical “macho” male identities in favour of softer, caring identities (Cavanagh, Southcombe, & Bartram, 2014; Golding, Foley, & Brown, 2007; Golding, 2015; Haesler, 2015; Morgan, Hayes, Williamson, & Ford, 2007).The keys to their success are:(i) Sheds offer men practical, gender-stereotypical activities,(ii) they are self-organized, so service providers are kept at arm’s length, and(iii) women are not present (Ahl, Hedegaard, & Golding, 2017).A somewhat counter-intuitive conclusion is that when older men get to do gender stereotypical activities in gender segregated groups, they are able to relinquish class divisions and gender stereotypes. The research question is therefore: does learning in homogeneous groups challenge patterns of inequality, and if so, what patterns and how?Based on participant observations and interviews with “shedders” in three countries we found support for the afore-mentioned observations. Working class men possessed the necessary practical skills to became the teachers of other men – their competence was valued, which erased class divisions. When no women were around to fuss with their health concerns, or with tasks such as cooking, they started to do this for themselves and their mates. However, we also noted that heterosexuality was taken for granted and received conceptions of ethnicity/race were reinforced. Homosexuals and immigrants (or people of the native population) were not acknowledged – they became the new “others” of the group. A new-formed fellowship required an outgroup for its definition. Our conclusion is that learning in homogeneous groups allows the erasure of some inequalities, but reproduces others, and the former appears conditional on the latter. We use these observations to formulate a theory of conditional social equality (CSE) which may provide a partial antidote to cumulative disadvantage.
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- Ahl, Helene, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Analysing entrepreneurial activity through a postfeminist perspective : A brave new world or the same old story?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Postfeminism and organization. - London : Routledge. - 9781138212213 - 9781315450933 ; , s. 141-159
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A critical component of the contemporary neoliberal turn has been the rise of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behaviours (Campbell and Pedersen, 2001). In developed nations, this era has been exemplified by a marked increase in entrepreneurship and new venture creation; entrepreneurial activity has also been integrated into the corporate environment encouraging individualised employee agency to generate innovative problem solving (Dannreuther and Perren, 2012) At a micro-level, we have seen the emergence of the ‘enterprising self’ and society where individuals assume responsibility for their own lives managing social welfare provisions previously provided by the state (du Gay, 1994; Down and Warren, 2008; Ahl and Nelson, 2015). These shifting expectations have been made possible by enabling legislative and institutional changes such as de-regulation, the decline of trade unions, privatisation of state services and liberalised markets (Perren and Dannreuther, 2012). Contemporaneously, the populist cultural promotion of entrepreneurship through various media has positioned it as a desirable career option with increasing status and social worth (Swail, Down, and Kautonen, 2013).
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- Ahl, Helene, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Can governments support both women and entrepreneurship?
- 2014
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Ingår i: Diana International Research Conference 2014.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Feminism in Sweden as well as in the other Scandinavian countries was largely formulated as state feminism. The women’s movement has cooperated with feminists in the state, resulting in societies that count as the most gender equal in the world. The Scandinavian countries are consistently ranked in the top position on international gender equality indices. The state has provided a large publicly financed welfare sector that both employs many women, and makes it possible to combine work and family through family friendly policies. The last decade has seen a political change influenced by neoliberal thought, in which politicians hand over welfare state responsibilities to the market, and instead encourage entrepreneurship, not least among women. The Swedish government has since 20 years back programs and policies to promote women’s entrepreneurship. The Swedish state has during the same period shrunk the public sector and privatized many operations in services and care, which traditionally employ many women. Instead, women are encouraged to start businesses in former public sectors. Empirical studies suggest however, that all of the increase of women’s entrepreneurship in these sectors is within low-paid, micro service businesses, typically child minding.Traditional state feminism has also changed character. Instead of public regulations, market solutions are advocated. In this paper we ask how to theorize this change from a feminist theory perspective; we ask what the implications for feminist action are, and we ask what consequences for women’s position in society are. We use research literature and policy texts as our empirical material and conduct a critical literature analysis. We conclude that the entrepreneurship discourse challenges, and possibly weakens state feminism and feminist action as we have known it in the Scandinavian countries, but may also offer new forms of feminist resistance, on market terms.
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