Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Being Employed as a ‘Nyusheng’: Gendered and Heteronormative Management in the Workplace

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Everyday Gender at Work in Taiwan

Part of the book series: Gender, Sexualities and Culture in Asia ((GSCA))

  • 268 Accesses

Abstract

In Chap. 3 I present and analyse my participants’ accounts to draw attention to the practices of organisational management in Taiwan. With the help of feminist theories on gender and heterosexuality, I argue that organisational management is gendered and heteronormative as it categorises female employees as naturally marriage- and family-oriented. Women are expected to work in certain industries and are confined to these, holding certain positions and doing certain jobs because of their gender. These practices therefore result in gender segregation in employment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Nyusheng [女生] means a young woman or a girl. It can also be a plural noun.

  2. 2.

    The official report indicates that in 2014 there were in total 11,537 personnel in social welfare, 9516 women and 2021 men (Ministry of Health and Welfare 2015).

  3. 3.

    ‘Nansheng’ [男生] means a young man or boy. It can also be plural.

  4. 4.

    Since the female and male singular third person pronouns in Mandarin have identical pronunciation, it could not be determined which one Han-Ting had used, and therefore I chose ‘she/he’ as the translation . The same translation strategy is adopted in other quotes from participants’ accounts.

  5. 5.

    This quote is from the official English translation of the article. The complete English translation is available at the official website of the Ministry of Labour : http://laws.mol.gov.tw/eng/flaw/FLAWDAT0201.asp

  6. 6.

    I discuss the hierarchical culture in the workplace further in Chap. 5.

  7. 7.

    Renfen [認分] in Mandarin means being aware of and accepting one’s own social status and situation.

  8. 8.

    T is a lesbian identity. The term is derived from the English word ‘tomboy’. It refers to a more ‘masculine’ sexual role, while its counterpart Po [婆] refers to a more ‘feminine’ one (Chao 2008). T and Po are two common terms with lesbian connotations in Taiwan.

  9. 9.

    Jie [姊] means an older sister. In Taiwan, it is used to refer not only to those with family relationships but also to women who have superior social status. It is usually used in a casual context.

  10. 10.

    Thut-tshue [脫箠] is a Taiyu (or Taiwanese) term. It means to make trivial mistakes.

References

  • Adkins, L. (1995). Gendered Work: Sexuality, Family and the Labour Market. Bristol, PA: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacik, I., & Drew, E. (2006). Struggling with Juggling: Gender and Work/Life Balance in the Legal Professions. Women’s Studies International Forum, 29(2), 136–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, A. (2006). Gendered Work in Asian Cities: The New Economy and Changing Labour Markets. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chao, Y. (2008). Drinks, Stories, Penis and Breasts: Lesbian Tomboys in Taiwan from the 1960s to the 1990s. Journal of Homosexuality, 40(3–4), 185–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, L. (2010). Why Aren’t Women Sticking with Science in Taiwan? The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences, 26(6), S28–S34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, Y., Wu, S., & Wong, Y. [鄭雅文, 吳宣蓓, & 翁裕峰]. (2011). 過勞職災的認定爭議與政策因應: 日本經驗對台灣的啟示 [Disputes and Policy Responses Concerning the Hazards of Overwork and Workers’ Compensation: Experiences in Japan and Their Implications for Taiwan]. 台 灣公共衛生雜誌 [Taiwan Journal of Public Health], 30(4), 301–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiu, W. [邱文仁]. (2011). 女人何苦為難女人 [Why Women Persecute Women], 自由時報 [Liberty Times], August 8. Retrieved August 18, 2016, from http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/supplement/paper/514843

  • Chou, W., Chen, C., Fosh, P., & Foster, D. (2009). The Changing Face of Women Managers in Taiwan. In C. Rowley & V. Yukongdi (Eds.), The Changing Face of Women Managers in Asia (pp. 171–198). Abingdon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cockburn, C. (1991). In the Way of Women: Men’s Resistance to Sex Equality in Organizations. Houndmills: Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Crompton, R., & Lyonette, C. (2006). Work–Life ‘Balance’ in Europe. Acta Sociologica, 49(4), 379–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, J. (1997). Men in Nursing: Issues of Gender Segregation and Hidden Advantage. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(2), 226–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faulkner, W. (2009). Doing Gender in Engineering Workplace Cultures. I. Observations from the Field. Engineering Studies, 1(1), 3–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glover, J., & Guerrier, Y. (2010). Women in Hybrid Roles in IT Employment: A Return to ‘Nimble Fingers’? Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 5(1), 85–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guerrier, Y., Ecans, C., Glover, J., & Wilson, C. (2009). ‘Technical, but Not Very …’: Constructing Gendered Identities in IT-related Employment. Work, Employment and Society, 23(3), 495–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, J., & Liang, G. (2012). Sailing into Rough Seas: Taiwan’s Women Seafarers’ Career Development Struggle. Women’s Studies International Forum, 35, 194–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann, H. (1976). Capitalism, Patriarchy, and Job Segregation by Sex. Signs, 1(3), 137–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hioe, B. (2016). Tsai Ing-Wen and Taiwan’s Year of the Female Politician? New Bloom, February 13. Retrieved August 9, 2016, from https://newbloommag.net/2016/02/13/tsai-female-politician/

  • Hou, Y. [侯岳宏]. (2013). 未依法定計算方法給付加班費之效力 [The Effect of Overtime Payment not Conforming to the Calculation Method Prescribed in the Act]. 臺北大學法學論叢 [Taipei University Law Review], 88, 261–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingraham, C. (1994). The Heterosexual Imaginary: Feminist Sociology and Theories of Gender. Sociological Theory, 12(2), 203–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S. (2001). Why a Materialist Feminism Is (Still) Possible and Necessary. Women’s Studies International Forum, 24(3–4), 283–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S. (2006). Gender, Sexuality and Heterosexuality: The Complexity (and Limits) of Heteronormativity. Feminist Theory, 7, 105–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S., & Scott, S. (2004). The Personal Is Still Political: Heterosexuality, Feminism and Monogamy. Feminism & Psychology, 14(1), 151–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S., & Scott, S. (2010). Theorizing Sexuality. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, L., Gilmour, R., Kao, S. F., & Huang, M. T. (2006). A Cross-Cultural Study of Work/Family Demands, Work/Family Conflict and Wellbeing: The Taiwanese vs. British. Career Development International, 11(1), 9–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mies, M. (1998). Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale : Women in the International Division of Labour. London: Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health and Welfare [衛生福利部]. (2015). 社會工作人員專職人數 [The Statistics on the Number of Full-Time Social Workers]. Taiwan. Retrieved August 10, 2016, from https://www.gender.ey.gov.tw/gecdb/Stat_Statistics_DetailData.aspx?sn=AWUNf1023B1vACKQJxIJmQ%3D%3D&d=x6hHAJy%2F6kd5%2FI2WaRjP4Q%3D%3D

  • Ministry of Labour [勞動部] (2015). 性別勞動統計專輯 [Report of Gender Labour Statistics]. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.mol.gov.tw/statistics/2452/2465/23491/

  • Munn Giddings, C. (1998). Mixing Motherhood and Academia: A Lethal Cocktail. In D. Malina & S. Maslin-Prothero (Eds.), Surviving the Academy: Feminist Perspectives (pp. 56–58). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ochiai, E. (2008). Researching Gender and Childcare in Contemporary Asia. In E. Ochiai & B. Molony (Eds.), Asia’s New Mothers: Crafting Gender Roles and Childcare Networks in East and Southeast Asian Societies (pp. 1–30). Kent: Global Oriental Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ochiai, E., Mari, Y., Yasuko, M., Zhou, W., Onode, S., Kiwaki, N., Fujita, M., & Hong, S. (2008). Gender Roles and Childcare Networks in East and Southeast Asian Societies. In E. Ochiai & B. Molony (Eds.), Asia’s New Mothers: Crafting Gender Roles and Childcare Networks in East and Southeast Asian Societies (pp. 31–70). Kent: Global Oriental Ltd.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Panteli, N., Stack, J., & Ramsey, H. (2001). Gendered Patterns in Computing Work in the Late 1990s. New Technology, Work and Employment, 16(1), 3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, A., & Taylor, B. (1980). Sex and Skill: Notes Towards a Feminist Economics. Feminist Review, 6, 79–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsay, K., & Letherby, G. (2006). The Experience of Academic Non-mothers in the Gendered University. Gender, Work and Organization, 13(1), 25–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sechiyama, K. (2013). Patriarchy in East Asia: A Comparative Sociology of Gender. Leiden: Brill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smithson, J., & Stokoe, E. H. (2005). Discourses of Work–Life Balance: Negotiating ‘Genderblind’ Terms in Organizations. Gender, Work & Organization, 12(2), 147–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tu, C., & Kuo, A. [涂鉅旻、郭安家]. (2014). 「婦科在女人大腿中討生活」柯又失言 [‘Doing Obstetrics and Gynaecology Is Making a Living Between Women’s Legs’, Ko Made a Gaffe Again]. 自由時報 [Liberty Times], 8 September. Retrieved August 10, 2016, from http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/paper/811410

  • Wang, N. [王能君]. (2012). 勞動基準法上加班法律規範與問題之研究-日本與臺灣之加班法制與實務 [The Enforcement and Practice of Overtime Regulations of Labour Standards Act between Japan and Taiwan]. 臺北大學法學論叢 [Taipei University Law Review], 81, 75–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watts, J. H. (2009). ‘Allowed into a Man’s World’ Meanings of Work–Life Balance: Perspectives of Women Civil Engineers as ‘Minority’ Workers in Construction. Gender, Work & Organization, 16(1), 37–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yen, C., & Wu, Y. [顏振凱、吳詠航]. (2006). 辜:統帥不應讓穿裙子的當 [Koo: ‘Commander in Chief Should not Be a Skirt-Wearing Person’], 蘋果日報 [Apple Daily], 15 December. Retrieved August 10, 2016, from http://www.appledaily.com.tw/appledaily/article/headline/20061215/3108250/

  • Yu, A. [余艾苔]. (2014). 陳以真可坐櫃檯惹議,柯P:當市長要有歷練 [The Comment ‘Chen Yi-Chen Can Sit at a Counter’ Sparked Controversy. Ko: A Mayor Must Have Experience’]. 蘋果日報 [Apple Daily], 7 September. Retrieved August 10, 2016, from http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20140907/465283/

  • Yu, W. (2009). Gendered Trajectories: Women, Work and Social Change in Japan and Taiwan. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of York, York, UK

    Ting-Fang Chin

Authors
  1. Ting-Fang Chin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Chin, TF. (2018). Being Employed as a ‘Nyusheng’: Gendered and Heteronormative Management in the Workplace. In: Everyday Gender at Work in Taiwan. Gender, Sexualities and Culture in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7365-6_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7365-6_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-7364-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-7365-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation