9. European Integration and Gender

Author(s):  
Yvonne Galligan

This chapter analyses theories of European integration through a gender lens. It points to the diversity of perspectives in gender scholarship on European integration, and draws on these different points of view to examine other theoretical approaches. It assumes that gender is a basic organising principle of the social world, and therefore is an integral aspect of European integration. The chapter discusses gender theory and its contribution to the study of European integration. It then goes on to interrogate other European integration theories - liberal intergovernmentalism, neofunctionalism, and social constructivism – examining the nature of gendered power that they emphasize and evaluating the extent to which they are open to incorporating a gender-informed perspective. The chapter then analyses the integrationist effect of the European economic crisis on gender equality. This discussion reveals the marginalization of gender equality, and gender mainstreaming, as the neo-liberal response to the economic crisis created new gender inequalities and perpetuated old patterns of gender hierarchy.

Author(s):  
Margaret Alston

Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by climate change, not because of innate characteristics but as a result of the social structures and cultural norms that shape gender inequalities. Feminist activists and transnational organizations continue to voice their concerns regarding the need for greater attention to gender inequalities in the context of climate change. Gender mainstreaming is a policy process designed to address the gendered consequences of any planned actions—the ultimate aim being to achieve gender equality. Gender mainstreaming emerged in the late 1990s at the Beijing Women’s Conference as a result of the frustrations of feminist activists and international nongovernmental organizations about the lack of attention to gender equality. Yet its implementation has been hampered both by a lack of vision as to its purpose and by ongoing tensions, particularly between those who espouse equality and those who support the mainstream. This has led to resistance to gender mainstreaming within departments and units that are charged with its implementation, and indeed a reluctance of key players to commit to gender equality. Yet there is still strong support for the original feminist intent from activists and researchers addressing the impacts of climate change. The transformational potential of gender mainstreaming is still viewed as a process that could address and challenge gender inequalities in the context of increasing climate challenges. However, there are barriers that must be overcome for the transformational potential of gender mainstreaming to be realized. These include equating climate justice with gender justice, ensuring that the radical feminist intent of gender mainstreaming is not co-opted by the neoliberal agenda of maximizing economic development over gender equality and women’s empowerment, and ensuring that organizations tasked with facilitating gender mainstreaming not only understand its intent but also address gender inequalities within their own organizational structures and practices.


Author(s):  
Vera Lomazzi ◽  
Isabella Crespi

This chapter discusses some of the most urgent challenges to gender equality policies in Europe. The European gender-mainstreaming strategy represents one of the few attemptsto promoting gender equality through a transnational legislative framework.However,theachievements reached so far cannot be given for granted. Political changes, as the rise of right-wing Eurosceptic parties supporting traditional-family models and ethnocentric views, may address new political agendas in which gender equality is marginalised. Furthermore, economic changes can impact on family patterns and gender arrangements, with policy budgets affected as well. The chapter also points out the technocratic approachto gender equality adopted by European laws,whichneglected the cumulative and simultaneous effect of multiple inequities. However, gender often intersects with other differences that can exacerbate inequities. The chapter discusses therefore the gendered consequences of the economic crisis and of defamilisation policies, implemented to deal with the ageing population; and the risks connected with the adoption of ethnocentric, gender-blind policies in the management of the refugees crisis and integration.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 2107-2130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadett Csurgó ◽  
Luca Kristóf

Our article aims to study the attitudes of the elite to family life and gender equality. This is a social group who still experiences significant gender imbalances. We focus on attitudes to family life, which has thus far been underresearched in elite literature. With the help of the analysis of 34 individual interviews with members of the Hungarian political, economic, and cultural elite, we identify and present three types of narrative identities: dominant, deferential, and egalitarian. The main finding from our qualitative content analysis is that egalitarian partnership norms which were discussed in every narrative and gender equality appear in most cases as a norm among the elite. However, there is a narrative tension between this norm and the couples’ actual experiences of their family life. We conclude our article with some comments on how the ideology of egalitarian essentialism strengthens gender inequalities reinforcing the underrepresentation of women in elite positions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
Cristina Miralles-Cardona ◽  
Esther Chiner ◽  
María Cristina Cardona-Moltó​

Western European countries have made impressive gender equality (GE) progress in education during the last few decades. Unfortunately, the implementation of gender mainstreaming (GM) in higher education has not been satisfactory. This paper describes a survey-based research study designed to explore student teachers’ perceptions of training for GE in teacher education (TE) using the Sensitive Assessment for Gender Equality (SAGE) index. The study firstly aims to analyse the factor invariance across degree of the SAGE and secondly tries to describe the status of GM implementation in teacher education programmes from students’ perspectives. Data were collected from 398 student teachers (84% female) aged 21.44, enrolled on two TE programmes from a public higher education institution in the Autonomous Region of Valencia (Spain). Using single and multi-group CFA the study revealed that the proposed three-factor structure of the SAGE fitted well to early childhood and elementary school student teachers’ data, thus suggesting equivalence between its components in both samples. Early childhood students scored significantly higher than elementary school student teachers in their reported perceptions of gender equality training and awareness of gender inequalities. Results will be displayed in terms of identifying institutional and curricular needs for GE education practices as findings reveal a clear demand for change.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoli Cantillo Monjo ◽  
Teresa Lleopart Coll ◽  
Sandra Ezquerra Samper

Objetivos: Cuantificar y caracterizar la producción científica enfermera sobre cuidados informales del período 2007-2016, observar la evolución de la temática durante estos años, adquirir una perspectiva actual sobre el estado de la cuestión y realizar propuestas sobre futuras líneas de investigación e intervención.Metodología: Revisión bibliográfica llevada a cabo mediante dos estrategias: una cuantitativa, y una segunda estrategia cualitativa. Resultados: El tipo de artículo más publicado es el estudio original cuantitativo, aunque se detecta un crecimiento de las publicaciones con enfoque cualitativo. Los temas más tratados son el perfil de la persona cuidadora, los impactos de la atención en su salud y en otros aspectos de su vida cotidiana, las propuestas de intervenciones profesionales para promover el cuidado personal y para evitar la sobrecarga de las personas cuidadoras y, por último, el uso de herramientas de evaluación para la planificación de la atención a las mismas.Conclusiones: Las publicaciones enfermeras identifican con acierto la centralidad del cuidado informal y el giro asistencial hacia el domicilio y la familia. No problematizan, sin embargo, el actual trasvase de responsabilidades hacia el cuidado desde las administraciones públicas hacia el ámbito familiar, ni analizan en profundidad las desigualdades socioeconómicas y de género reinantes en el actual escenario de cuidados. El abordaje a estos dos elementos puede contribuir a abrir nuevas líneas de investigación e intervención en el campo de la enfermería. Goals: To quantify and characterize the scientific production in nursing on informal care from 2007 to 2016, to observe the evolution of the theme during this period, to acquire a current perspective on the state of the arts, and to suggest future directions of both research and professional practice. Methods: Bibliographical review undertaken through two strategies: a quantitative strategy and a qualitative one. Results: The most frequent type of published article is quantitative although there is an increase of qualitative publications. Among the most frequent themes are: the study of the caregiver’s profile, as well as the impacts of care on their health and on their everyday life; practical professional recommendations to promote care and self-care and to prevent caregivers’ overload; and, finally, the use of assessment tools for planning attention of caregivers. Conclusions: While nursing publications rightly identify the centrality of the family and the household in the new care scenario, they do not problematize the current transfer of responsibility for care from public administrations toward the realm of the family. Neither do they problematize the social, economic, and gender inequalities that take place in the context of care. To approach these two themes can contribute to create new research and professional lines in nursing.


2021 ◽  

Courts can play an important role in addressing issues of inequality, discrimination and gender injustice for women. The feminisation of the judiciary – both in its thin meaning of women's entrance into the profession, as well as its thicker forms of realising gender justice – is a core part of the agenda for gender equality. This volume acknowledges both the diversity of meanings of the feminisation of the judiciary, as well as the complexity of the social and cultural realisation of gender equality. Containing original empirical studies, this book demonstrates the past and present challenges women face to entering the judiciary and progressing their career, as well as when and why they advocate for women's issues while on the bench. From stories of pioneering women to sector-wide institutional studies of the gender composition of the judiciary, this book reflects on the feminisation of the judiciary in the Asia-Pacific.


Author(s):  
Simon Wickhamsmith

Using S. Buyannemeh’s 1936 novella ‘Tovuudai the Herder’ (Malchin Tovuudai) as a basis, this chapter examines the social policies that the Party implemented so as to bring Mongolia into line with the Soviet Union. Through an analysis of the literary response to the unsuccessful policy of collectivization and to the more successful policies surrounding education and livestock husbandry, it shows how changes to the traditional nomadic herding culture – not only in the management of livestock, but in education and gender equality – affected society as a whole. In journeys such as Tovuudai’s, from the far west of Mongolia to the rapidly developing capital Ulaanbaatar, the kind of technological innovations that the Party wished to encourage – motorized transport and electrification – were seen as evidence of Mongolia’s modernization, and writers used the imagery and sensation of spee


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document