Not a Woman, but a Soldier: Exploring Identity through Translocational Positionality

TitleNot a Woman, but a Soldier: Exploring Identity through Translocational Positionality
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsDoan, Alesha E., and Shannon Portillo
JournalSex Roles
Volume76
Issue3-4
Pagination236-249
Date Published08/2016
Abstract

Recent debate over integrating women into U.S. military combat units presents an opportunity to examine the gender identities and experiences of women in the military. Here, the authors examine the context-dependent prominence of intersecting identities including work role and gender ascribed to female soldiers in Special Operations. Using a mixed methods approach, based on 28 focus groups with 198 soldiers and a survey conducted with 1701 men and 214 women, the authors argue that female soldiers’ experiences refute their male colleagues’ assumptions regarding their ability to serve in combat units. The experience of identity in the workplace is different for men and women because women experience fluidity in their identity depending on with whom they are interacting and where interactions occur, whereas men experience and understand gender identity as a fixed, static trait. Although women experience the fluidity of their gender identity based on context, their male colleagues remain oblivious to the contextual nature of gender identity while also maintaining their authority in policing the boundaries of gender in the military context. 

URLhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-016-0661-7
Entry by GWC Assistants / Work by GWC Assistants : 
AK

Type of Literature:

Time Period:

Countries: