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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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| 2. |
- Ahl, Helene, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Civil society engagement in refugee integration : subject to prior learning and institutional constraints
- 2023
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Ingår i: ICERI2023. - : IATED Academy. - 9788409559428
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a seminal article in education and neo-institutionalist theory, Meyer and Rowan (1977) proposed that organisations are subject to institutional constraints. These constraints must be met for organizations to be seen as legitimate and thereby secure resources, but meeting them may get in the way of the efficient execution of their core activities. Organizations solve it by “loose coupling”, i.e. they purportedly meet the formal requirements, yet go about their business as they see fit. In this study we follow a number of state-sponsored projects carried out by Swedish civil society organizations aimed at integrating refugees after the massive refugee wave in 2015. We interviewed churches, voluntary associations, social enterprises, immigrant associations and municipal projects. With the exception of immigrant associations, the regular, core activities of the interviewed organizations were not related to integration. We hypothesized that the organizations might turn to loose coupling – do whatever they found best, and report to the government what the government wanted to hear, and in so doing secure long terms funds and institutionalize integration activities in their organizations.We found, however, that after a few years, most activities were discontinued. First, they were not only loosely coupled, but rather decoupled from the organization’s core activities. Projects were started by engaged individuals whose prior experience determined the content. Teachers arranged language training cafés, nurses initiated health projects, and those with industry experience arranged job interview training and internships. The documentation and reporting requirements from the government were difficult to meet, as they measured other things than what volunteers and participants valued as important. Continued funds could therefore not be secured. In lieu of funds, the activities were too decoupled form the organizations core activities to be integrated in their regular programs. So, instead of “efficient loose coupling” there was “inefficient decoupling”, and integration was not institutionalized.There were two exceptions: One was the immigrant associations who did not rely on external funds and where integration was already a core activity. The other exception was a social enterprise who upon not securing continued funding started a new, independent company. It was financed by selling cleaning services provided by immigrant women who also received language training and other support. In so doing, the formal framework of the organization became perfectly aligned to the integration activities.The lesson learned is that if the government wants to draw on the engagement of voluntary associations in the long term, programs and projects need to be aligned to the core activities of the associations, and evaluation criteria must be aligned to what volunteers and participants find meaningful. Theoretically, the study shows that there is a limit to loose coupling – the activities must be at least somewhat aligned to the formal organizational framework to be legitimate in the long term. We add the concept of “inefficient decoupling” to institutional theory. It explains when and why loose coupling does not work, and why inefficient decoupling, because of its inefficiency, may lead to the creation of a new formal organization which is able to house the desired activities.
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| 4. |
- Ahl, Helene, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the false promise of entrepreneurship through a postfeminist critique of the enterprise policy discourse in Sweden and the UK
- 2021
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Ingår i: Human Relations. - : Sage Publications. - 0018-7267 .- 1741-282X. ; 74:1, s. 41-68
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Contemporary theories of neoliberalism and entrepreneurship are entwined; both hinge upon the use of agency within free markets to realize individual potential, enhance status and attain material rewards. Postfeminism, as a discrete but related discourse, suggests this context is conducive to encouraging women to draw upon their agency, skills and personal profile to enhance achievements and returns. We draw from these related, but discrete discourses, when critically analysing how postfeminist assumptions shape Swedish and UK government policies aimed at expanding women’s entrepreneurship. Despite differing historical antecedents regarding state engagement with equality and welfare regimes, we illustrate how postfeminist assumptions have infiltrated policy initiatives in both cases. This infiltration has, we suggest, suppressed criticisms that in a context of persistent structural discrimination, lack of welfare benefits and contrived aspirational role models, entrepreneurship constitutes a poor career choice for many women. Consequently, we challenge the value of contemporary policy initiatives encouraging more women to enter entrepreneurship.
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| 7. |
- Ahl, Helene, 1958-
(författare)
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Motivation, finns det? [video]
- 2022
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Annan publikation (film/video) (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Ett samtal om motivation och vuxnas lärande med Helene Ahl, professor i företagsekonomi vid Encell och Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation. Helene har skrivit boken 'Motivation och vuxnas lärande - En kunskapsöversikt och problematisering', på uppdrag av dåvarande Myndigheten för skolutveckling. Nu går hon igenom området igen, utifrån var vi står idag, och slår hål på allmänt vedertagna sanningar om motivation. Intervjuar gör Karin Havemose, universitetslektor i arbetsorganisation vid Jönköpings tekniska högskola.
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| 8. |
- Ahl, Helene, 1958-
(författare)
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Sweden
- 2021
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Ingår i: Entrepreneurship policies through a gender lens. - Paris : OECD Publishing. - 9789264565258 - 9789264507555 ; , s. 82-84
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 9. |
- Ahl, Helene, 1958-
(författare)
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Why research on women entrepreneurs needs new directions
- 2020
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Ingår i: The praxis of diversity. - Cham : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9783030260774 - 9783030260781 ; , s. 65-104
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research articles on women’s entrepreneurship reveal, in spite of intentions to the contrary, and in spite of inconclusive research results, a tendency to recreate the idea of women as being secondary to men, and of women’s businesses being of less significance or, at best, as being a complement. Based on a discourse analysis, this article discusses what research practices cause these results. It suggests new research directions which do not reproduce women’s subordination, but capture more and richer aspects of women’s entrepreneurship.
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| 10. |
- Ahl, Helene, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Why some homogeneous adult learning groups may be necessary for encouraging diversity : A theory of conditional social equality
- 2023
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Ingår i: Australian Journal of Adult Learning. - : Adult Learning Australia. - 1443-1394. ; 63:2, s. 119-139
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper proposes a new theory of Conditional Social Equality (CSE) which in some ways challenges the theory of cumulative advantage/disadvantage (CAD), which postulates that inequalities and social divisions necessarily increase over time. Using evidence from informal learning groups in Men’s Sheds in three countries, we conclude that some social divisions between homosocial groups, in this case groups of older men, may actually decrease – but only under certain conditions. Male-gendered learning groups that were relatively homogeneous by age helped erase class divisions and softened gender stereotypes. Our theory of conditional social equality (CSE) predicts the following: i) in-group homogeneity can enable the acceptance of some aspects of heterogeneity, ii) some other aspects of in-group heterogeneity may not be tolerated, thus maintaining in-group cohesion, and iii), in-group homogeneity and boundary setting towards out-groups may be prerequisites for the acceptance of (some) aspects of in-group heterogeneity. All of this has important implications for adult learning in both heterogeneous and homogenous groups.
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