This paper is about research carried out at a hospital at which managers had taken a course in gender equality. The aim was to get a deepened understanding of them and their work on gender equality. I wanted to find out if they themselves felt that they had obtained any new knowledge and if they had changed anything at their workplace because of this new knowledge. I also wanted to know if they had experienced any problems in this process. I found that the course has been more or less decisive in order for them to start working with questions concerning gender equality. I also found that the awareness of the shortcomings and the conditions concerning gender equality at the hospital is good, and that there is a willingness to change this. However, there seem to be some difficulties at the hospital in knowing how to move forward with information retrieved in local surveys at the hospitals about whether or not male and female patients are treated equally. Difficulties also arise from the fact that the work on gender equality is carried out in a area of work – health care – that is based to a large extent on sex and the human body. Here, the will to give the best possible care to both men and women collides with gender stereotypes among the medical staff. There is an awareness of this but at the same time they say that it is important for the balance in the workgroups that there are both men and women. In society in general there are discussions about the importance of quantitative equality, which is reflected in the work done on gender equality at the hospital. As the idea that time in it self will rectify problems concerning gender equality. Their role as managers becomes prominent as the importance of them showing the significance of gender equality. / Denna uppsats är en studie på ett sjukhus där chefer har gått en jämställdhetsutbildning. Syftet var att få en fördjupad förståelse av chefer som gått den certifierade jämställdhetsutbildningen och deras arbete med jämställdhet. Jag ville ta reda på om de upplever att de erhållit nya kunskaper, om det kan vara så att de har förändrat något på sin arbetsplats eller om de upplevt eventuella problem. Det jag fann var att jämställdhetsutbildningen förefaller mer eller mindre avgörande för att informanterna började arbeta med jämställdhet. Det finns en ganska god medvetenhet om vilka brister, möjligheter och förutsättningar som finns på sjukhuset och en vilja att förändra detta. Däremot förefaller det lite mer problematiskt att veta hur man ska gå vidare med resultat från lokala undersökningar där man studerat om män och kvinnor får olika vård. Problemet ligger också i att jämställdhetsarbetet finner sig i ett yrkesområde, sjukvården, som baserar mycket av sitt arbete på just kroppen. Här krockar viljan att ge den bästa vården för män och kvinnor med föreställningar om att könen står för ganska olika saker. Det finns en form av medvetenhet runt detta samtidigt som man säger att det är viktigt för balansen i arbetsgrupperna att det finns både män och kvinnor. I samhället i stort talas det mycket om kvantitativ jämställdhet, dvs. antalet kvinnor och män, vilket avspeglas på sjukhuset. Likaså att tiden ska avhjälpa jämställdhetsproblem. Chefskapet blir framträdande i jämställdhetsarbetet och informanterna pekar på vikten av att chefen visar att jämställdhetsarbetet är angeläget.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Against the background of the global demographic shift towards an aging workforce and its impacts on the labour market and the economy in industrialized societies, this dissertation pinpoints six salient challenges for future litigation and policy-making in the area of labour and employment discrimination law. These include the global tendency towards abolishing mandatory retirement and increasing the eligibility age for pension benefits; legislative age-based distinctions; cost as a justification for age discrimination; performance appraisals of senior workers; and the duty to accommodate senior workers. At the core of each challenge lies a normative question regarding our conception of senior workers’ right to age equality, its importance and relative weight compared with other rights and interests. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to critically review the current understanding of this right and its moral and economic underpinning. Most notably, the dissertation contends that the prevailing conception of equality assessment (the Complete Lives Approach to equality), according to which equality should be assessed based on a comparison of the total share of resources obtained by individuals over a lifetime, has substantial implications for age discrimination discourse. As it uncovers the numerous difficulties with the complete lives approach, the dissertation develops an alternative: the Dignified Lives Approach to equality, according to which an individual should be treated with equal concern and respect, at any particular time and regardless of any comparison. The dissertation then articulates five essential principles founded in Dworkin’s notion of equal concern and respect: the principle of individual assessment, the principle of equal influence, the principle of sufficiency, the principle of social inclusion, and the principle of autonomy. When one of these principles is not respected at any particular time, a wrong is done, and the right to equality is violated. Next, the dissertation elucidates when and why unequal treatment of senior workers based on age does not respect each of these five principles and therefore constitutes unjust age discrimination. It demonstrates that senior workers’ right to age equality is a fundamental human right. Finally, it examines the above-mentioned challenges through the lens of the new Dignified Lives approach.

Against the background of the global demographic shift towards an aging workforce and its impacts on the labour market and the economy in industrialized societies, this dissertation pinpoints six salient challenges for future litigation and policy-making in the area of labour and employment discrimination law. These include the global tendency towards abolishing mandatory retirement and increasing the eligibility age for pension benefits; legislative age-based distinctions; cost as a justification for age discrimination; performance appraisals of senior workers; and the duty to accommodate senior workers. At the core of each challenge lies a normative question regarding our conception of senior workers’ right to age equality, its importance and relative weight compared with other rights and interests. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to critically review the current understanding of this right and its moral and economic underpinning. Most notably, the dissertation contends that the prevailing conception of equality assessment (the Complete Lives Approach to equality), according to which equality should be assessed based on a comparison of the total share of resources obtained by individuals over a lifetime, has substantial implications for age discrimination discourse. As it uncovers the numerous difficulties with the complete lives approach, the dissertation develops an alternative: the Dignified Lives Approach to equality, according to which an individual should be treated with equal concern and respect, at any particular time and regardless of any comparison. The dissertation then articulates five essential principles founded in Dworkin’s notion of equal concern and respect: the principle of individual assessment, the principle of equal influence, the principle of sufficiency, the principle of social inclusion, and the principle of autonomy. When one of these principles is not respected at any particular time, a wrong is done, and the right to equality is violated. Next, the dissertation elucidates when and why unequal treatment of senior workers based on age does not respect each of these five principles and therefore constitutes unjust age discrimination. It demonstrates that senior workers’ right to age equality is a fundamental human right. Finally, it examines the above-mentioned challenges through the lens of the new Dignified Lives approach.

Zugl.: Berlin, Humboldt-Univ., Diss.

Bakgrund: Tidigare studier belyser hur jämställdhet inte blir till verkliga handlingar i organisationer. Vi konstaterar i denna studie att chefer är aktörer för verkställandet av jämställdhet till reella handlingar till följd av att det finns lagkrav på arbetsgivare att arbeta för att främja jämställdhet. Det som görs beträffande jämställdhet av chefer i organisationer idag kan förklaras som ojämställt därför undersöker denna studie; hinder, utmaningar och möjligheter i chefers verkställande av jämställdhet, vilket mynnar ut i följande problemformulering: Vilka hinder, utmaningar och möjligheter upplever chefer i sitt lagstadgade arbete med att verkställa och göra jämställdhet? Syfte: Denna studie syftar till att genom ett aktörs- och verksamhetsnära perspektiv, undersöka chefers lagstadgade arbete i att verkställa jämställdhet samt vilka hinder och utmaningar jämställdhetsarbete består av, genom tre feministiska teoribildningar presenterade av Kanter, Butler och Cavarero samt vad jämställdhetsarbete definieras som. Metod: Studien har genomförts med kvalitativ metod genom sex intervjuer med sju informanter i skilda branscher i Västra Götalandsregionen. Empiriska resultat och tolkning: Trots varierande förutsättningar i de olika branscherna studien undersöker, förekommer gemensamma karaktärsdrag. Informanterna i studien lägger vikt vid att strukturer i organisationen bör skapa jämställda möjligheter i karriären för såväl kvinnor som män. Samtliga informanterna anser att en jämn könsfördelning berikar arbetsgruppen genom att utöka med flera perspektiv. Ledarskapet är av stor vikt vid verkställandet av jämställdhet. Slutsatser: Hinder och utmaningar för jämställdhet utgörs av såväl strukturella- som könsbarriärer. Ett relationellt och individanpassat ledarskap öppnar upp för möjligheter av jämställdhet. / Background: Earlier studies illustrate how gender equality does not become real acts in organizations. We note in this study that executives are actors of the implementation of gender equality into real actions as a result of the legal requirements for employers to work to promote gender equality. What is being done about gender equality by managers in organizations today can be explained as gender inequality, hence this study examines; obstacles, challenges and opportunities in managers' implementation of gender equality, which emerges in the following problem formulation: What obstacles, challenges and opportunities do executives experience in their statutory work on implementing and equality? Purpose: This study aims at investigating the legislative work of managers in implementing gender equality and the obstacles and challenges of gender equality work through three feminist theories presented by Kanter, Butler and Cavarero, as well as what gender equality work is defined as. Method: The study has been conducted with qualitative method through six interviews with seven informants in different industries in the region of Västra Götaland, Sweden. Empirical results and interpretation: Despite the varied conditions in the different industries the study examines, there are common characteristics. The informants in the study emphasize that structures in the organization should create equal opportunities in the career of both women and men. All informants believe that an even gender structure enriches the working group by expanding with several perspectives. Leadership is of great importance in the implementation of gender equality. Conclusions: Obstacles and challenges for gender equality consist of both structural and gender barriers. Relational and individualized leadership opens for opportunities for gender equality.

The Swedish school system has had a long tradition of equality and later on, equivalence, where the municipalities have a large responsibility as well as freedom in ensuring that children receive an equivalent education. During some time however, results have shown an increased importance of aspects such as family background and residential segregation for the children’s performances and hence a failing equivalence. The research question for this paper is: How do municipalities interpret their national obligation of ensuring equivalence in school? By preforming case studies in three municipalities with three different organizations, written sources and interviews allow for an in-depth analysis of the organizations in relation to equivalence. Looking at the challenges for an equivalent school today in combination with theories about equality in opportunity and equality in outcome, an analytical tool is created which is used to analyze the municipalities in a comparable way. This paper shows how the interpretations of the national obligation of ensuring equivalence in the three municipalities can be understood in regards to two dimensions – to what extent a municipality is compensating for the children’s family background in their organization and if the municipality prioritize an individual or a collective understanding of equivalence in their organization. The paper illustrates how a to vague legislation about equivalence may lead to very different organizations that in turn may threaten the national goal of equivalence.

The thesis deals with the abolitionist movement in the United States of America and approaches it as an internally disunited movement. It focuses on the conflicts between its most influential representatives, including William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass. Different motives of the anti-slavery leaders' involvement in the matter are analyzed and used to explain the arguments among these. Attention is given to the problem of racial oppression as one of the main forces having determined not only the development of the abolitionist movement but also the events following the 1865 Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, mostly the rise of the Black nationalism movement and of black racism. Even though many abolitionists saw slavery as based on racism and, therefore, endeavored to reach its abolition, in practice, many of them refused to acknowledge racial equality between white and African American people. This paradox is one of the central problems of American abolitionism examined in the thesis. The first three chapters discuss abolitionist ideas of William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and David Walker with focus on their distinct and opposing views. The fourth chapter deals with the emancipation of women as it was closely linked to the emancipation of slaves; the...

Syftet med studien är att utifrån en didaktisk teori jämföra hur fyra förskollärare beskriver att de tillämpar förskolans värdegrund i den fria leken, med särskilt fokus på jämställdhet. Till syftet har följande två frågeställningar konkretiserats; Hur beskriver förskollärare att de inkluderar ett jämställdhetsperspektiv i den fria leken? och Vilka utmaningar lyfter förskollärare gällande att inkludera ett jämställdhetsperspektiv i den fria leken?. Studien har utgått ifrån en kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer.  I studiens resultat framkommer det att förskollärarna beskriver inkludering av ett jämställdhetsperspektiv i den fria leken på varierande sätt. Både vad gäller att inkludera det vid strukturering av den fysiska miljön likväl som genom sin egen delaktighet i den fria leken. Några av de strategier som lyfts fram är att använda genusneutralt material och att göra materiella tillägg i genusstereotypa lekar. Med det sistnämda menas bland annat att introducera barnen för nya leksaker, vilka de spontant inte väljer att använda själva, för att bidra till variationer i deras lekar. Ytterligare metoder som anges är att som förskollärare agera omvänt gentemot stereotypa föreställningar om könen samt att verbalt tydliggöra att alla leksaker är för både pojkar och flickor. En metod som samtliga förskollärare lyfter är att de diskuterar med barnen när de uttrycker stereotypa genusföreställningar, som exempelvis att rosa är en tjejfärg. Vad gäller hur stor plats barnens egna intresse ska få respektive hur stor påverkan förskollärarna ska ha på den fria leken gav förskollärarna olika svar. De har olika syn på hur barnens möjligheter till att leka på jämställda villkor påverkas av att barnens intressen får vara styrande i den fria leken. Några av förskollärarna upplever det som en utmaning att finna en balans mellan barnens inflytande och sin påverkan vad gäller att inkludera ett jämställdhetsperspektiv. Andra ser utmaningar gällande att leva upp till sina valda jämställdhets-strategier. Angående det lyfts exempelvis svårigheten i att säkerställa att man inte omedvetet förmedlar genusstereotypa föreställningar till barnen. Ytterligare lyfter förskollärarna att organisatoriska villkor, som till exempel tidsbrist, utgör utmaningar för att inkludera ett jämställdhetsperspektiv i den fria leken.

Diploma thesis "The Public Defender of Rights as a Gender Equality Body" explores the jurisdiction of the ombudsman in the area of equal treatment and prohibition of discrimination (so-called Equality Body). The main focus of the work is the equality of men and women. The methodology used is theoretical-analytical legal analysis. The work starts with a theoretical analysis of basic terms and concepts relating to equal treatment and prohibition of discrimination. The institution and activities of the ombudsman are also defined in theory. This is followed by a legal analysis of three types. The first one is a procedural analysis of anti-discrimination laws (method of their enactment, past, present and proposed laws). This is followed by an institutional analysis of the Czech Equality Body and the impact of the ombudsman in the area of equal rights. The analytical research is concluded with a substantive legal analysis of selected cases decided by the ombudsman. Methods of feminist legal analysis have been predominantly used for the purposes of the analytical research. A wide area of the subject matter has been explored by use of this examination, which has produced a number of conclusions as well as a complete overview of the activities of the Equality Body in the Czech Republic. Possible changes,...