Gender as an Ideological Dilemma

Abstract

On the one hand, gender relations appear to be in flux; on the other hand, they seem to have changed little. Institutional gender discrimination is supposedly a thing of the past in most parts of the Western world (Beck, 2002; Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, 2002a; Castells, 2000; 2004a; 2004b). As success at work is now allegedly based on individual abilities rather than gender, it is often asserted that gender matters less there. Most people talk about their work environment as gender egalitarian and downplay the importance of gender (Benschop and Doorewaard, 1998b; Gill, 2002; Henwood, 1998; Jorgensen, 2002; Korvajärvi, 1998). Gender seems to be passé, and feminist claims appear to have been incorporated into the modern world. However, Gill (2007; 2008) analyses how feminist claims are not only incorporated but also repudiated and rendered ineffective by current media discourses. As I show in this chapter, this tendency can also be observed in the work context.