| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
Alternative and parallel career paths for women: the case of trade union participationQueen Mary, University of London, UK, g.kirton{at}qmul.ac.uk This article argues that a broader, horizontal and multiple concept of career helps us to understand womens union participation. Women frequently commit to and actively balance more than one significant life activity - each of which can be conceptualized as a career - in the public and private spheres. These careers inter-relate and overlap, sometimes complementing each other, sometimes conflicting; thus commitment to, progression in, or setbacks for one mode of career cannot be understood without appreciation of the others. The study shows that within a context of gendered employment barriers and constraints, a trade union career can often constitute an alternative or parallel career for women, to which some women commit the energy and resources many people reserve for their paid work careers. The article also explores the private meanings attached to careers, revealing union careers as a subjective and moral project.
Key Words: barriers and constraints career choices career concepts trade union participation women
Work, Employment & Society, Vol. 20, No. 1,
47-65 (2006) This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|||||||||||||||
