Feminist scholars struggle to articulate gender relations in different contexts. Using the concept of local gender contract -a place specific agreement of gender relations, we explore how women's networks challenge or shift gender contracts in their communities. Based on two empirical case studies of women´s groups from Eastern Africa and Thai migrants in Sweden, we show gender contracts are challenged through women's homosocial activities. We highlight tensions between gender contracts and the women's goals revealing a complicated process of assent and resistance. This study expands gender contract theoretically and provides a way to understand vulnerable women's activities.Keywords: local gender contract, homosociality, women's social networks, East Africa, Thai migrants, Sweden. Vol. 5 No. 3 October 2016 pp. 1072-1097
GÉNEROS -Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies
ResumenLas académicas feministas tienen dificultades en articular las relaciones de género en diferentes contextos. Utilizando el concepto de contracto local de género -un acuerdo de relaciones de género especifico a un lugar, analizamos como los grupos de mujeres desafían o cambian los contractos en sus comunidades. Basado en dos casos de estudio de grupos de mujeres en África del Este y de mujeres tailandesas en Suecia, demostramos que los contractos de género han sido desafiados a través de las actividades homosociales de las mujeres. Resaltamos las tensiones entre los géneros y los objetivos de las mujeres revelando un proceso complicado de acuerdo y resistencia. El estudio amplía de forma teórica el concepto de contracto de género y presenta una manera de analizar las actividades de las mujeres vulnerables.Palabras clave: contrato local de género, homosocialidad, redes sociales femeninas, África de Este, inmigrantes tailandesas, Suecia
GÉNEROS -Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies, 5(3)1074 n a dark cold windy November night in Stockholm, Thai women gather from across the city to celebrate Loy Kratong, the Thai festival of light. A Thai community organization has rented a hall to celebrate the event and share their community with family and friends. The event is open to all and approximately 100 people mill inside and outside the facility. The hall is organized in long tables to allow large groups to share meals while watching a showcase of Thai cultural events; dancing, boxing, among others performed on a stage. The highlight of the evening is a beauty pageant where ten women compete for the title. The event is interspersed throughout the other performances of the evening. The women are dressed beautifully in traditional Thai clothing, their hair is coiffed and their movements are graceful. They move across the stages elegantly and 'wai' the audience in a feminine and graceful manner. The audience, primarily Swedish men clap and cheer for their favorite women. They buy roses, at 5 kronor (0.6 USD) a piece, to cast their votes towards the winner. The MC, a Thai man, brings humor to the evening by pretending to be a conte...