Ekberg2017

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Ekberg2017
BibType ARTICLE
Key Ekberg2017
Author(s) Katie Ekberg, Stuart Ekberg
Title Gendering occupations: persistence and resistance of gender presumptions about members of particular healthcare professions
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Gender, Person Reference, Membership Categorization, Healthcare communication
Publisher
Year 2017
Language English
City
Month
Journal Gender and Language
Volume 11
Number 1
Pages 100–120
URL Link
DOI 10.1558/genl.24082
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

In spite of increasing gender diversity in employment roles, presumptions persist about the gender of people employed in particular occupations. Focusing on healthcare data collected in Australia and the United Kingdom within the past decade, we use conversation analysis to identify how presumptions about gender are displayed within social interaction through the use of gender-specific pronouns. We show how gender-specific pronouns are asymmetrically selected on the basis of a referent’s occupations, with gender-unspecified members of traditionally male occupations (e.g. doctors) referred to with masculine pronouns and gender-unspecified members of traditionally female occupations (e.g. nurses) referred to with feminine pronouns. We also explore ways people avoid making such presumptions. Our analysis therefore reveals a state of flux in contemporary social life, with instances in which gender presumptions persist as well as attempts to employ person references that reflect contemporary social dynamics.

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