Gender, work and identity: a case study from the English further education sector

Abstract

Taylor & Francis 13 3 000000October 2008 RobinSimmons r.a.simmons@hud.ac.ukEnglish further education (FE) has traditionally been dominated by men. For decades FE, with its emphasis upon vocational education and training, was characterised by a preponderance of male staff and students and a somewhat masculine culture. However, the past two decades have seen a significant numerical and cultural feminisation of FE. Whilst this could partly be a result of an 'organic' development deriving from the changing nature of work and the structure of the economy more broadly, this paper argues that the feminisation of FE can only be fully understood at the intersection of critical structural and post-structural perspectives. Data from a case study are used to illuminate this argument and to provide insights from the perspective of men in the college workplace -men that have witnessed the transformation of FE from the patriarchal peculiarities of local authority control to its position today. IntroductionThe further education (FE) workforce is predominantly female: over 63% of all FE teachers are women as are almost 70% of those that teach on a part-time basis (Lifelong Learning UK [LLUK] 2005: 26-28). Furthermore, although a few curriculum areas, such as construction and engineering, still reflect the traditional dominance of men in heavy and manufacturing industries, and some areas contain roughly equal numbers of men and women, many others are overwhelmingly female -particularly those associated with traditional images of female 'caring and nurturing' such as health and social care and childcare (LLUK 2005, 46; Simmons and Thompson 2007, 521). However, the composition of the teacher workforce gives only a partial picture of gender in colleges; the FE workforce also includes almost a quarter of a million non-teaching staff -almost two-thirds of whom are women. This includes nearly 75% of administrative and professional staff, 85% of those in clerical and secretarial positions and almost 70% of other service staff. Women are also in the majority in managerial posts: 57% of managers in FE are female (LLUK 2005, 46). Thus, although feminisation can be seen to be particularly strong at lower organisational levels it is a clear trend across FE as a whole.The fact that the FE workforce is now overwhelmingly female represents a feature of a sector that has undergone significant change over recent years. In the past, FE was often seen as being run almost as a 'closed shop' by men, particularly from craft-based technical and industrial backgrounds -often well-connected with those in senior positions, local

An alternative proposition to Lewis’ views on the ‘Constructions of professional identity in a dynamic higher education sector’

“…Lewis also discusses identity, but again from a weak position, as Lewis only skims the surface of a subject that whole texts have been written on (For example, see: Giddens 1991, Hofstede and Hofstede 2005, Smith 2007, Simmons 2008, Lawler 2009, Lumby 2009, Castells 2010, Price and Whiteley 2014. As I have identified in this paper, identity on its own is a wicked problem.…”

The state of professional practice and policy in the English further education system: a view from below

“…One example she briefly outlined involved dealing with one student's housing, benefits and shopping needs and how other members of her department characterised this as her 'mummying' the students. Rather than seeing this as a feature arising from an exploitative increase in the employment of women in the FE sector (Simmons 2008), we would instead view this as a response to funding-driven courses and the choices that teachers are forced to make by the prevailing managerialist cultures in FE. The point to emphasise is that the caring aspect of the Media Studies teacher's work was openly criticised by other staff.…”

Organisational culture of further education colleges delivering higher education business programmes: developing a culture of ‘HEness’ – what next?

“…Earlier in the paper I highlighted how Parry and Thompson (2002) referred to FECs as hybrids, that is HE in FE, CBHE, or HEness depending upon whose works one reads. I also stated that this was a most unflattering term to bestow upon a sector of education that was at one time viewed has the 'hand-maiden of British Industry, (Smith 2007, Simmons 2008, Feather 2013, renowned for its excellence in vocational education, and second chance opportunities in gaining qualifications. However, with the number of changes placed on FE by the UK Government and other stakeholders, some FECs today appear to be ever seeking the next source of funding available to them.…”