Motivation, organisational gender equality work and the postfeminist gender regime: A feminist approach Ea Høg Utoft Motivation, organisational gender equality work and the postfeminist gender regime: A feminist approach PhD Dissertation Politica © Forlaget Politica and the author 2020 ISBN: 978-87-7335-262-5 Cover: Svend Siune Print: Fællestrykkeriet, Aarhus University Layout: Annette Bruun Andersen Submitted January 31, 2020 The public defence takes place May 28, 2020 Published May 2020 Forlaget Politica c/o Department of Political Science Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University Bartholins Allé 7 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark Table of Contents Preface/Acknowledgements ....................................................................................... 9 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 13 1.1. Motivation to study motivation ....................................................................... 13 1.2. Why care about motivation? ........................................................................... 16 1.2.1. Gender equality in Denmark .................................................................... 16 1.2.2. Denmark by comparison ........................................................................ 23 1.2.3. Gender and business ................................................................................ 31 1.2.4. Gender and academia ............................................................................. 36 1.3. Conceptual clarifications ................................................................................. 41 1.3.1. Gender ...................................................................................................... 41 1.3.2. Gender (in)equality ................................................................................. 43 1.3.3. Gender equality work .............................................................................. 46 1.3.4. Knowledge-intensive organisations ....................................................... 47 1.3.5. Postfeminism .......................................................................................... 49 1.4. Outline of the dissertation .............................................................................. 51 1.5. Appendix .................................................................................................... 58 2. Methods ................................................................................................................. 59 2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................... 59 2.1.1. Two contexts, two approaches ................................................................ 59 2.1.2. A feminist epistemological point of departure ....................................... 63 2.2. Ethnography .................................................................................................. 68 2.2.1. Initial phase ............................................................................................. 71 2.2.2. Fieldwork in practice .............................................................................. 73 2.2.3. Formal and informal interviewing ......................................................... 80 2.2.4. Navigating field roles and relationships ................................................ 87 2.2.5. Short field study in the United States .................................................... 89 2.3. Interview study ............................................................................................... 91 2.3.1. Genuine intent or obligation: Understanding assumptions and outcomes of gender equality efforts within academia ...................................... 91 2.3.2. Evaluation framework for promoting gender equality in research and innovation .................................................................................................. 93 2.3.3. An interview study in context ................................................................ 95 2.4. Approach to analysis ...................................................................................... 97 2.5. Summary of chapter ...................................................................................... 101 2.6. Appendix ...................................................................................................... 102 3. Postfeminism ......................................................................................................... 111 3.1. Understanding the ‘post’ in postfeminism ................................................... 112 3.2. Understanding the ‘feminism’ in postfeminism .......................................... 115 3.3. The postfeminist gender regime .................................................................. 120 3.3.1. Postfeminism in culture and media ...................................................... 121 5 3.3.2. Postfeminism and the workplace ......................................................... 126 3.3.3. Feminisms in the postfeminist gender regime ..................................... 138 3.4. Critiquing postfeminism .............................................................................. 148 3.5. Summary and framework ............................................................................. 150 4. Manoeuvring within postfeminism (article 1)..................................................... 153 4.1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 154 4.2. Gender equality work and practitioners ...................................................... 156 4.3. Postfeminism ................................................................................................ 157 4.3.1. Gender equality has been achieved ....................................................... 158 4.3.2. Essential gender differences ................................................................. 158 4.3.3. Individual choice ................................................................................... 159 4.4. The Danish context as a postfeminist gender regime .................................. 161 4.5. Method.......................................................................................................... 162 4.6. Analysis ........................................................................................................ 166 4.6.1. Gender equality has been achieved ....................................................... 166 4.6.2. Gender essentialism.............................................................................. 170 4.6.3. Choice .................................................................................................... 172 4.7. Gender equality work, postfeminism and motivation ................................. 174 4.8. Conclusion: Manoeuvring within postfeminism ......................................... 176 5. Exploring linkages (article 2) .............................................................................. 179 5.1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 180 5.2. Conceptual framework ................................................................................. 182 5.3. Method .......................................................................................................... 184 5.4. Analysis ......................................................................................................... 186 5.4.1. Unfolding the narratives ....................................................................... 186 5.4.2. Exploring linkages to gender equality work ......................................... 190 5.5. Lessons learnt ............................................................................................... 194 5.6. Appendix ....................................................................................................... 197 6. Motivations (article 3) ......................................................................................... 199 6.1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 200 6.2. Method and case.......................................................................................... 202 6.3. Theoretical framework ................................................................................ 204 6.4. Analysis of motivations ................................................................................ 207 6.4.1. Legislation ............................................................................................. 207 6.4.2. Market logics ........................................................................................ 209 6.4.3. Organisational feminist movements .................................................... 213 6.4.4. Corporate social responsibility ............................................................. 215 6.5. Conclusion .................................................................................................... 217 7. Discussion ............................................................................................................ 219 8. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 225 8.1. Motivation to study motivation .................................................................... 225 8.2. Contributions and