<p>In this study, I explored the experiences of gender and power relations among a group of black women holding leadership positions in six government departments in the Western Cape. South Africa is in a process of transition and, to create a departure from the past, key objectives focus around the transformation of gender disparities and the eradication of racism and other forms of inequality and discrimination in all spheres of this society. There are many methods utilized to increase the number of women in leadership positions in the private and public sectors. However, there is a lack of research regarding the social environment for women once they have entered into these structures (Angevine, 2006). This study made use of a feminist qualitative methodology which guided the research. Six semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted in order to carry out an in-depth exploration of participants&rsquo / experiences. After the participants had given consent, the interviews were audio-recorded, then transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed in accordance with qualitative thematic analysis. All standard ethical considerations to protect the participants and the researcher were taken into account and practised throughout the research. The findings show evidence that black African women leaders in government departments have internalized learnt subservient characteristics / and that this serves to undermine their authority as leaders. Specifically, larger social power relations and traditional forms of authority undermine their capacity to express authority in work environments. They also experience both subtle and blatant racist and sexist prejudice in the form of stereotypes and hostility in the workplace. A minority of women managers actively oppose the gendered notions that undermine their leadership. Ultimately, black African women managers are not accepted or supported as legitimate leaders in the workplace. Women leaders are perceived to be incapable of performing effectively as leaders because of gender and racial stereotypes that serve as hindrances to their expression of leadership. The study found that some participants conform to the socially constructed notion of maintaining a work-life balance and this poses a challenge for such leaders. Those who are married attempt to balance career and life by maximizing on their management of their time. A number of women had made the personal decision to remain single in order to focus explicitly on their careers.</p>

<p>In this study, I explored the experiences of gender and power relations among a group of black women holding leadership positions in six government departments in the Western Cape. South Africa is in a process of transition and, to create a departure from the past, key objectives focus around the transformation of gender disparities and the eradication of racism and other forms of inequality and discrimination in all spheres of this society. There are many methods utilized to increase the number of women in leadership positions in the private and public sectors. However, there is a lack of research regarding the social environment for women once they have entered into these structures (Angevine, 2006). This study made use of a feminist qualitative methodology which guided the research. Six semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted in order to carry out an in-depth exploration of participants&rsquo / experiences. After the participants had given consent, the interviews were audio-recorded, then transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed in accordance with qualitative thematic analysis. All standard ethical considerations to protect the participants and the researcher were taken into account and practised throughout the research. The findings show evidence that black African women leaders in government departments have internalized learnt subservient characteristics / and that this serves to undermine their authority as leaders. Specifically, larger social power relations and traditional forms of authority undermine their capacity to express authority in work environments. They also experience both subtle and blatant racist and sexist prejudice in the form of stereotypes and hostility in the workplace. A minority of women managers actively oppose the gendered notions that undermine their leadership. Ultimately, black African women managers are not accepted or supported as legitimate leaders in the workplace. Women leaders are perceived to be incapable of performing effectively as leaders because of gender and racial stereotypes that serve as hindrances to their expression of leadership. The study found that some participants conform to the socially constructed notion of maintaining a work-life balance and this poses a challenge for such leaders. Those who are married attempt to balance career and life by maximizing on their management of their time. A number of women had made the personal decision to remain single in order to focus explicitly on their careers.</p>

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2017-11-17T14:35:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Camilla de Almeida Silva - Dissertação - 2016..pdf: 4507235 bytes, checksum: b8e5c3c7f476fd65cf296f23b4249d0a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-17T14:35:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Camilla de Almeida Silva - Dissertação - 2016..pdf: 4507235 bytes, checksum: b8e5c3c7f476fd65cf296f23b4249d0a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-01 / Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar em que medida as estratégias da ação política dos Sindicatos dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras Rurais do polo Petrolina/PE-Juazeiro/BA, mais especificamente da agenda política destes sindicatos, tem tido a capacidade de atuar levando em consideração as demandas e questões “específicas” das mulheres trabalhadoras rurais. Para isso, atentamos às condições de trabalho as quais as mulheres estão submetidas, assim como suas percepções e suas formas de resistência e reivindicações coletivas. Amparada em uma metodologia de análise qualitativa, a pesquisa foi desenvolvida a partir de um vasto trabalho de campo, focado substancialmente na observação direta, na realização de entrevistas com roteiros semiestruturado e estruturado, e também na pesquisa documental. O texto está estruturado em torno de cinco capítulos, com o intuito de articular as questões empíricas e as discussões teóricas e conceituais que privilegiam as relações entre gênero, trabalho e ação coletiva. / The goal of the following thesis is to analyze to what extent the strategies of such political actions of the Rural Workers Unions of Petrolina/PE and Juazeiro/BA, more specifically from the political agendas of such unions, has had the capacity to act taking into consideration the demands and specific doubts regarding rural female workers. For this, we take into consideration the work conditions which they are submitted to, as their perceptions, forms of resistance, and collective claims. Supported by the methodology of qualitative analysis, this research was developed based on extensive field work, focused substantially, on direct observation, the performance of interviews with semi structured and structured scripts, and also documented research. The text is composed of five chapters, in order to articulate the empirical questions and theoretic and conceptual discussions which privilege the relations between genre, work, and collective action.