In this article, we explore the impact of internationalization as organizational processes where ... more In this article, we explore the impact of internationalization as organizational processes where institutional actors meet in local contexts and negotiate the institutional order. The internationalization of working life implies that different traditions and practices meet and challenge each other. The focus is on how important elements of the Nordic micro model like cooperation between employees and employers and regulation of working hours are implemented in a global company situated in Norway. In general, it seems that employees and employers cooperate in line with this tradition in the Nordic micro model. Norwegian manager's practices are described to be in accordance with Scandinavian management traditions, while managers from the United States appear to practice management consistent with the liberal working life model. The findings show a tension-filled clash between two different management practices, which indicates that the Nordic micro model in this field might be under pressure. Manager's recommendation to the employees was not to become members of the trade union. The absence of trade unions in the organization implies that employees and employers are not cooperating on a collective level. This means that only parts of the regulatory arrangement related to participation and cooperation are implemented. Findings concerning working time and the relation to the institutional order represented by the Norwegian Work Environment Act indicate a clear tension between different institutional traditions in the organization. The company does not respect the Norwegian in working time regulations. These regulations are seen as counterproductive for a company that competes in the international market. This devaluation of the regulations in the Nordic model implies that the institutional order represented in the Nordic micro model is challenged.
Makt og kjønn i det nye arbeidslivet Elin Kvande er professor ved Institut for Samfunnsvitenskap ... more Makt og kjønn i det nye arbeidslivet Elin Kvande er professor ved Institut for Samfunnsvitenskap og Teknologi, Bergen Universitet, Norge NB: Artiklen er en let forkortet udgave af Elin Kvandes indlaeg ved den nordiske arbejdslivskonference i Stavanger, den 23.-25. september 1999.
... They also characterise scientific knowledge as masculine because it ignores female ex-perienc... more ... They also characterise scientific knowledge as masculine because it ignores female ex-perience and accepts ... in their article 'Ladies do not slay dragbns' (referring to the illustrations in the ... of work; -perceive that an organisation involves both production and a social system; -be ...
Nora: nordic journal of feminist and gender research, Mar 1, 2002
ABSTRACT This article addresses how different masculinities are constructed in a female-dominated... more ABSTRACT This article addresses how different masculinities are constructed in a female-dominated work organization in the public sector. The context is a restructuring process that is based on decentralization of responsibility and centralization of power. The first process addressed is labelled "Escaping from the body", which implies that the male nurses in the organization move away from the nursing and care aspects of the job. New management positions are being created through the restructuring, and this facilitates the process of "Entering the glass elevator". "Managing greedy organizations", which is a consequence of the intensification and centralization, is the third process addressed. A traditional gender hierarchy is thus reproduced through the reorganization process.
International Journal of Science Education, May 1, 1987
Some of the domination techniques which female engineering students encounter in the masculine mi... more Some of the domination techniques which female engineering students encounter in the masculine milieu at the Technical University of Norway are discussed. The different types of coping strategies they adopt when facing these social barriers are presented.
This chapter focuses on fathers who took parental leave before they were granted earmarked rights... more This chapter focuses on fathers who took parental leave before they were granted earmarked rights. Fathers taking parental leave were rare at that time. The chapter explores how they include caregiving in their construction of masculinity. Using an interactionist perspective, viewing mothers and fathers as negotiating their caregiving roles, we find that fathers assert masculine identity by using several strategies. One of them is shaping their form of care-work differently from mothers' interaction with the child. Another is defining caregiving as an extension of the “masculine sphere” of the outdoors. Both mothers and fathers, however, take part in the process of reproducing masculinity as normative by giving masculine care higher status than women’s care work. Care-giving activities are adopted by the hegemonic form of masculinity with its strong connection to paid work.
Research has documented that fathers in countries with individualized, non-transferable parental ... more Research has documented that fathers in countries with individualized, non-transferable parental leave policies take leave to a greater extent than in other countries. Studies have not, however, explored the processes of constructing these outcomes. We have investigated this issue by means of interviews with middle-class immigrant fathers from various European countries to Norway. The ‘outsider-within’ perspective represented by immigrants’ experiences is our intake to understanding this. Results show that the principle of earmarking and non-transferability combined with a generous income compensation is experienced as a great possibility to care for children and perceived as important. It is in comparison with the care regimes of their homelands that this insight becomes perceptible. These results can be seen as supporting the tendency to convergence, not in the actual care policies, but in the attitudes toward parental leave held by the fathers from these countries.
In most countries, parental leave systems consist of several parts with different lengths for fat... more In most countries, parental leave systems consist of several parts with different lengths for fathers and/or mothers. This article compares fathers' sense of entitlement to two parts of the Norwegian parental leave system that are available to them, namely the individual, nontransferable fathers' quota of ten weeks and the shared parental leave of 26/36 weeks. The objective is to gain knowledge of the rationale for fathers' different take-ups of the two types of leave. Analysis of interviews with 22 fathers shows culturally divergent understandings of the two types of leave among fathers. Using the concept of 'entitlement' as theoretical lens, we find that fathers feel entitled to the fathers' quota based on gender equality norms in working life and the wider society. Fathers do to a much smaller degree feel entitled to the shared parental leave, which is culturally understood as mothers' entitlement. This understanding is, however, challenged by some fathers' claim to the shared leave on the basis of their being competent parents.
The development of parental leave policies was the most important area of expansion for the Norwe... more The development of parental leave policies was the most important area of expansion for the Norwegian welfare state in the 1990s. Schemes were extended, and special rights were granted to fathers. This chapter shows how fathers in various male-dominated work organizations relate to the obligation to take leave at a time when the father’s quota was in its infancy. It underscores the importance of work context as well as personal agency and perceptions. Four different leave practices are described, and they show variations in how seriously the fathers and their work organizations relate to the new policy, and how they adapt to it. Some opposition is demonstrated, but there are clear indications that something is set in motion by the introduction of the father’s quota.
This concluding chapter discusses the ways in which the parental leave design in terms of the fat... more This concluding chapter discusses the ways in which the parental leave design in terms of the father’s quota may have consequences for change in fatherhood and caregiving and thus for the wider processes of change towards a dual earner/dual carer model. It highlights change in fathers’ sense of entitlement to leave, which has made it into a norm. Aspects such as flexible use and the possibility for mothers to stay home are identified to harm the process of change towards dual caring. A focus on the content of the leave identifies further aspects of change in the father-child relation and care competence of fathers in the direction of caring masculinities. Working life’s supportive role contributes to placing a change of the ideal worker norm within sight.
The research question is what fathers do when home on parental leave without the mother. During t... more The research question is what fathers do when home on parental leave without the mother. During the period the quota has existed the father's quota has been substantially extended. Based on interviews with fathers, who have used 10 and 12 weeks leave, this article aims to explore how being home alone has impacted their caring practices. When the fathers describe their experiences, they focus on care work as hard work. While fathers staying at home on a shorter leave right after the introduction of the quota concentrated on taking care of their children, and housework was an area of conflict in the family, the current fathers integrate cleaning and cooking with caring. Because the current generation of home-alone fathers are home for a longer period and have the primary responsibility for their children’s well-being, they also seem to develop stronger emotional ties and relational competence.
There has been a concern that Norwegian family policies may be problematic for immigrants because... more There has been a concern that Norwegian family policies may be problematic for immigrants because such policies carry normative expectations about gender equal divisions of work and care. The study explores how immigrant fathers to Norway frame taking parental leave and practicing childcare. Parental leave for fathers, being rare or non-existent in their home countries, is justified in a favorable way to their family and friends at home. Hence, in a transnational perspective, the leave is narrated into an account of the auspicious aspects of their life in a new country, and they oppose being defined as lesser men because of having to take leave. The analysis shows that staying home with the child increases their capacity to provide emotional and practical care for their children. They situate themselves in terms of what they understand to be the dominant understandings of fatherhood. This is the “involved father frame”, which may be variable in content but fits well in a Norwegian discourse.
This chapter compares fathers who have been home on leave alone with fathers who took their leave... more This chapter compares fathers who have been home on leave alone with fathers who took their leave with the mother also at home. The analysis finds distinct differences between the two leave situations and their consequences for the father-child relation, his ability to understand their non-verbal language of and his development into a confident and competent caregiver. The situation where the mother is also at home, means that she continues in her role as the primary parent, translating the child’s language to the father, which means that he assumes status as a supporting player and an assistant. He looks forward to the child growing older for him to become a more central dad and companion.
<p>Research on work-family balance has seen flexible work arrangements as a key solution fo... more <p>Research on work-family balance has seen flexible work arrangements as a key solution for reconciling work and family, but it has given contradictory results regarding fathers. This chapter focuses on flexible parental leave use for fathers in Norway. It is based on interviews with 20 fathers who have used the father's quota flexibly either as part-time combined with part-time leave or as piecemeal leave. The study describes the motives for using flexible leave and the consequences of the two types of flexibility for fathers' caregiving. Flexibility provides them with a menu of choices, which affects their caregiving differently. Findings show that part-time leave allows work to invade care, produces a double stress and promotes halfway fathering. It tends to confirm fathers as secondary caregivers instead of empowering them as primary caregivers.</p>
This article highlights the importance of social policy and working life contexts for employed fa... more This article highlights the importance of social policy and working life contexts for employed fathers' use of parental leave. It directs attention towards the Norwegian model, which is known for its gender equality aims and welfare-state support to families, but which is also active in the regulation of working life. Based on interviews with fathers who have used the father's quota (a statutory, earmarked, non-transferable leave), findings run counter to work-family research where gendered assumptions in work organizations are found to prevent active fathering. The interviewed fathers report positive attitudes and supportive practices among employers. Fathers' stories show that their use of the leave is subject to cooperation and compromising processes at the workplace level that research on fatherhood and organizations have hardly addressed. RÉSUMÉ Cet article souligne l'importance des cadres de la politique sociale ainsi que de la vie professionnelle pour l'usage du congé parental des pères qui travaillent. L'article dirige l'attention vers le modèle norvégien. Parmi les objectifs de ce modèle est l'égalité des sexes, et il est également connu pour son soutien de l'État providence aux familles. Pourtant, il réglemente aussi activement la vie professionnelle. Fondée sur des entretiens avec des pères qui se sont servi du congé parental (un congé qui est statutaire, réservé et non transférable) les conclusions vont à l'encontre de la recherche travail-famille où l'on trouve que les suppositions genrées des organisations du travail empêchent la paternité active. Selon les pères qui ont été interviewés ici, il y a parmi les employeurs une attitude positive et des pratiques coopératives. Les histoires des pères indiquent que leur usage du congé est soumis à des processus de compromis et de coopération au niveau de lieu de travail qui n'ont guère été abordés dans la recherche sur la paternité et les organisations.
... focus of attention. This is especially true in all forms of care work, paid and unpaid.Lise W... more ... focus of attention. This is especially true in all forms of care work, paid and unpaid.Lise Widding Isaksen takes a particularly novel approach to care through exploring the theme of gendered bodily disgust. She explores some ...
In this article, we explore the impact of internationalization as organizational processes where ... more In this article, we explore the impact of internationalization as organizational processes where institutional actors meet in local contexts and negotiate the institutional order. The internationalization of working life implies that different traditions and practices meet and challenge each other. The focus is on how important elements of the Nordic micro model like cooperation between employees and employers and regulation of working hours are implemented in a global company situated in Norway. In general, it seems that employees and employers cooperate in line with this tradition in the Nordic micro model. Norwegian manager's practices are described to be in accordance with Scandinavian management traditions, while managers from the United States appear to practice management consistent with the liberal working life model. The findings show a tension-filled clash between two different management practices, which indicates that the Nordic micro model in this field might be under pressure. Manager's recommendation to the employees was not to become members of the trade union. The absence of trade unions in the organization implies that employees and employers are not cooperating on a collective level. This means that only parts of the regulatory arrangement related to participation and cooperation are implemented. Findings concerning working time and the relation to the institutional order represented by the Norwegian Work Environment Act indicate a clear tension between different institutional traditions in the organization. The company does not respect the Norwegian in working time regulations. These regulations are seen as counterproductive for a company that competes in the international market. This devaluation of the regulations in the Nordic model implies that the institutional order represented in the Nordic micro model is challenged.
Makt og kjønn i det nye arbeidslivet Elin Kvande er professor ved Institut for Samfunnsvitenskap ... more Makt og kjønn i det nye arbeidslivet Elin Kvande er professor ved Institut for Samfunnsvitenskap og Teknologi, Bergen Universitet, Norge NB: Artiklen er en let forkortet udgave af Elin Kvandes indlaeg ved den nordiske arbejdslivskonference i Stavanger, den 23.-25. september 1999.
... They also characterise scientific knowledge as masculine because it ignores female ex-perienc... more ... They also characterise scientific knowledge as masculine because it ignores female ex-perience and accepts ... in their article &#x27;Ladies do not slay dragbns&#x27; (referring to the illustrations in the ... of work; -perceive that an organisation involves both production and a social system; -be ...
Nora: nordic journal of feminist and gender research, Mar 1, 2002
ABSTRACT This article addresses how different masculinities are constructed in a female-dominated... more ABSTRACT This article addresses how different masculinities are constructed in a female-dominated work organization in the public sector. The context is a restructuring process that is based on decentralization of responsibility and centralization of power. The first process addressed is labelled &quot;Escaping from the body&quot;, which implies that the male nurses in the organization move away from the nursing and care aspects of the job. New management positions are being created through the restructuring, and this facilitates the process of &quot;Entering the glass elevator&quot;. &quot;Managing greedy organizations&quot;, which is a consequence of the intensification and centralization, is the third process addressed. A traditional gender hierarchy is thus reproduced through the reorganization process.
International Journal of Science Education, May 1, 1987
Some of the domination techniques which female engineering students encounter in the masculine mi... more Some of the domination techniques which female engineering students encounter in the masculine milieu at the Technical University of Norway are discussed. The different types of coping strategies they adopt when facing these social barriers are presented.
This chapter focuses on fathers who took parental leave before they were granted earmarked rights... more This chapter focuses on fathers who took parental leave before they were granted earmarked rights. Fathers taking parental leave were rare at that time. The chapter explores how they include caregiving in their construction of masculinity. Using an interactionist perspective, viewing mothers and fathers as negotiating their caregiving roles, we find that fathers assert masculine identity by using several strategies. One of them is shaping their form of care-work differently from mothers' interaction with the child. Another is defining caregiving as an extension of the “masculine sphere” of the outdoors. Both mothers and fathers, however, take part in the process of reproducing masculinity as normative by giving masculine care higher status than women’s care work. Care-giving activities are adopted by the hegemonic form of masculinity with its strong connection to paid work.
Research has documented that fathers in countries with individualized, non-transferable parental ... more Research has documented that fathers in countries with individualized, non-transferable parental leave policies take leave to a greater extent than in other countries. Studies have not, however, explored the processes of constructing these outcomes. We have investigated this issue by means of interviews with middle-class immigrant fathers from various European countries to Norway. The ‘outsider-within’ perspective represented by immigrants’ experiences is our intake to understanding this. Results show that the principle of earmarking and non-transferability combined with a generous income compensation is experienced as a great possibility to care for children and perceived as important. It is in comparison with the care regimes of their homelands that this insight becomes perceptible. These results can be seen as supporting the tendency to convergence, not in the actual care policies, but in the attitudes toward parental leave held by the fathers from these countries.
In most countries, parental leave systems consist of several parts with different lengths for fat... more In most countries, parental leave systems consist of several parts with different lengths for fathers and/or mothers. This article compares fathers' sense of entitlement to two parts of the Norwegian parental leave system that are available to them, namely the individual, nontransferable fathers' quota of ten weeks and the shared parental leave of 26/36 weeks. The objective is to gain knowledge of the rationale for fathers' different take-ups of the two types of leave. Analysis of interviews with 22 fathers shows culturally divergent understandings of the two types of leave among fathers. Using the concept of 'entitlement' as theoretical lens, we find that fathers feel entitled to the fathers' quota based on gender equality norms in working life and the wider society. Fathers do to a much smaller degree feel entitled to the shared parental leave, which is culturally understood as mothers' entitlement. This understanding is, however, challenged by some fathers' claim to the shared leave on the basis of their being competent parents.
The development of parental leave policies was the most important area of expansion for the Norwe... more The development of parental leave policies was the most important area of expansion for the Norwegian welfare state in the 1990s. Schemes were extended, and special rights were granted to fathers. This chapter shows how fathers in various male-dominated work organizations relate to the obligation to take leave at a time when the father’s quota was in its infancy. It underscores the importance of work context as well as personal agency and perceptions. Four different leave practices are described, and they show variations in how seriously the fathers and their work organizations relate to the new policy, and how they adapt to it. Some opposition is demonstrated, but there are clear indications that something is set in motion by the introduction of the father’s quota.
This concluding chapter discusses the ways in which the parental leave design in terms of the fat... more This concluding chapter discusses the ways in which the parental leave design in terms of the father’s quota may have consequences for change in fatherhood and caregiving and thus for the wider processes of change towards a dual earner/dual carer model. It highlights change in fathers’ sense of entitlement to leave, which has made it into a norm. Aspects such as flexible use and the possibility for mothers to stay home are identified to harm the process of change towards dual caring. A focus on the content of the leave identifies further aspects of change in the father-child relation and care competence of fathers in the direction of caring masculinities. Working life’s supportive role contributes to placing a change of the ideal worker norm within sight.
The research question is what fathers do when home on parental leave without the mother. During t... more The research question is what fathers do when home on parental leave without the mother. During the period the quota has existed the father's quota has been substantially extended. Based on interviews with fathers, who have used 10 and 12 weeks leave, this article aims to explore how being home alone has impacted their caring practices. When the fathers describe their experiences, they focus on care work as hard work. While fathers staying at home on a shorter leave right after the introduction of the quota concentrated on taking care of their children, and housework was an area of conflict in the family, the current fathers integrate cleaning and cooking with caring. Because the current generation of home-alone fathers are home for a longer period and have the primary responsibility for their children’s well-being, they also seem to develop stronger emotional ties and relational competence.
There has been a concern that Norwegian family policies may be problematic for immigrants because... more There has been a concern that Norwegian family policies may be problematic for immigrants because such policies carry normative expectations about gender equal divisions of work and care. The study explores how immigrant fathers to Norway frame taking parental leave and practicing childcare. Parental leave for fathers, being rare or non-existent in their home countries, is justified in a favorable way to their family and friends at home. Hence, in a transnational perspective, the leave is narrated into an account of the auspicious aspects of their life in a new country, and they oppose being defined as lesser men because of having to take leave. The analysis shows that staying home with the child increases their capacity to provide emotional and practical care for their children. They situate themselves in terms of what they understand to be the dominant understandings of fatherhood. This is the “involved father frame”, which may be variable in content but fits well in a Norwegian discourse.
This chapter compares fathers who have been home on leave alone with fathers who took their leave... more This chapter compares fathers who have been home on leave alone with fathers who took their leave with the mother also at home. The analysis finds distinct differences between the two leave situations and their consequences for the father-child relation, his ability to understand their non-verbal language of and his development into a confident and competent caregiver. The situation where the mother is also at home, means that she continues in her role as the primary parent, translating the child’s language to the father, which means that he assumes status as a supporting player and an assistant. He looks forward to the child growing older for him to become a more central dad and companion.
<p>Research on work-family balance has seen flexible work arrangements as a key solution fo... more <p>Research on work-family balance has seen flexible work arrangements as a key solution for reconciling work and family, but it has given contradictory results regarding fathers. This chapter focuses on flexible parental leave use for fathers in Norway. It is based on interviews with 20 fathers who have used the father's quota flexibly either as part-time combined with part-time leave or as piecemeal leave. The study describes the motives for using flexible leave and the consequences of the two types of flexibility for fathers' caregiving. Flexibility provides them with a menu of choices, which affects their caregiving differently. Findings show that part-time leave allows work to invade care, produces a double stress and promotes halfway fathering. It tends to confirm fathers as secondary caregivers instead of empowering them as primary caregivers.</p>
This article highlights the importance of social policy and working life contexts for employed fa... more This article highlights the importance of social policy and working life contexts for employed fathers' use of parental leave. It directs attention towards the Norwegian model, which is known for its gender equality aims and welfare-state support to families, but which is also active in the regulation of working life. Based on interviews with fathers who have used the father's quota (a statutory, earmarked, non-transferable leave), findings run counter to work-family research where gendered assumptions in work organizations are found to prevent active fathering. The interviewed fathers report positive attitudes and supportive practices among employers. Fathers' stories show that their use of the leave is subject to cooperation and compromising processes at the workplace level that research on fatherhood and organizations have hardly addressed. RÉSUMÉ Cet article souligne l'importance des cadres de la politique sociale ainsi que de la vie professionnelle pour l'usage du congé parental des pères qui travaillent. L'article dirige l'attention vers le modèle norvégien. Parmi les objectifs de ce modèle est l'égalité des sexes, et il est également connu pour son soutien de l'État providence aux familles. Pourtant, il réglemente aussi activement la vie professionnelle. Fondée sur des entretiens avec des pères qui se sont servi du congé parental (un congé qui est statutaire, réservé et non transférable) les conclusions vont à l'encontre de la recherche travail-famille où l'on trouve que les suppositions genrées des organisations du travail empêchent la paternité active. Selon les pères qui ont été interviewés ici, il y a parmi les employeurs une attitude positive et des pratiques coopératives. Les histoires des pères indiquent que leur usage du congé est soumis à des processus de compromis et de coopération au niveau de lieu de travail qui n'ont guère été abordés dans la recherche sur la paternité et les organisations.
... focus of attention. This is especially true in all forms of care work, paid and unpaid.Lise W... more ... focus of attention. This is especially true in all forms of care work, paid and unpaid.Lise Widding Isaksen takes a particularly novel approach to care through exploring the theme of gendered bodily disgust. She explores some ...
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