The primary focus of this research is to assess vertical occupational gender segregation and its cases in the context of Britain's contemporary labour market, both in general terms and at the level of an employing organisation. By way of introduction, the concepts relating to occupational gender segregation (vertical, horizontal and overall), which are used throughout this study, are explained in detail. In doing so, the common confusion surrounding these definitions, and thus their application in many previous studies, is demonstrated. The first stage of the research constructs an overview of men and women in the public and private spheres of British society. This entails a quantitative illustration of both sexes in terms of life-styles (including family), education, work patterns, domesticity, employment status, pay and in general, how these are reflected in terms of contemporary occupational gender segregation in the British labour market. Following this analysis, prevalent theories which claim to explain gender inequality within the labour market are critically analysed. These range from psycho-physiological and male dominance theories, to the theory of patriarchy and male organisation, to rational choice and preference theories. In moving beyond the limitations of these theories, distinguishing the horizontal dimension of occupational gender segregation from the vertical dimension becomes paramount. This distinction underlies the principle question of the thesis: '<I>what are the main contributors to gender inequality as indicated by vertical occupational gender segregation?'</I> The second section of the thesis is centred on the empirical analysis of a British case study organisation. The case study services as an environmental of 'optimal conditions' for gender equality, and thus a critical case study to test the causes of vertical occupational gender segregation. The methodological approach is both quantitative and qualitative. In terms of qualitative research I have used the seminal Cambridge approach of the 'segregation triangle method' to measure and analyse occupational gender segregation and its two components, the horizontal and vertical dimensions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:597023 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Browne, J. M. |
| Publisher | University of Cambridge |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0021 seconds