Theorizing postfeminist communities: How gender‐inclusive meetups address gender inequity in high‐tech industries

Through a qualitative analysis of gender‐inclusive meetup groups in the US technology sector, this article offers a theory of postfeminist communities to identify how community organizing can take a postfeminist turn. Gender‐inclusive meetups are public, often free groups or organizations where part...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gender, work, and organization work, and organization, 2020-07, Vol.27 (4), p.545-564
Main Author: Petrucci, Larissa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action
communities
Community
Community organizing
Discrimination
Empowerment
Entrepreneurship
Feminism
Gender
Gender inequality
Groups
High tech industries
Individualism
Inequality
institutional sexism
Postfeminism
Professionalism
Qualitative research
Skill development
Technology
technology industries
Training
Women
Work skills
Workplaces
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Summary:Through a qualitative analysis of gender‐inclusive meetup groups in the US technology sector, this article offers a theory of postfeminist communities to identify how community organizing can take a postfeminist turn. Gender‐inclusive meetups are public, often free groups or organizations where participants have access to training, mentorship and support. Groups import postfeminist values of choice, empowerment, individualism and entrepreneurship into their community organizing efforts to address workplace gender inequities. Groups employ three strategies to improve the status of women and non‐binary people in the tech industry: (i) organizing a supportive community rooted in professionalism and entrepreneurialism; (ii) offering skills development in a safe environment; and (iii) training participants on how to take individual action against discrimination. While postfeminist communities are able to successfully cultivate supportive groups of participants who organize outside of the workplace, strategies focused on individual‐level changes ultimately do little to disrupt organization‐level gender inequities.
ISSN:0968-6673
1468-0432
DOI:10.1111/gwao.12440