Bibliografisk note: Genus, 1403-8943 2001:1 s. 4-5

The main purpose of this dissertation is to explore the meaning of gender in relation to qualifications and skills. In the dissertation two specific problem areas are explored in-depth: 1 - The meaning of gender in relation to qualifications and skills in technical industrial work. 2- The manifestations and contents of women's ways of relating interpreted as a type of non-formal skills. Empirical data were collected mainly through semi-structured indepth interviews with women (Project 40 girls) with a tailored vocational training for technical operational and maintenance work in the new coachworkshop at Saab-Scania in Trollhättan. Male work-mates as well as supervisors and key informants in the factory were also interviewed. A mainly qualitative methodological approach of grounded theory type was used for analysing the data. Theoretically the dissertation has been inspired by the Nordic feminist discussion on gender, work and rationality and the concept of responsible rationality is used to explain women's ways of relating to work. The data show that women develop an adjusted form of responsible rationality in this technical industrial work situation expressed in three care dimensions: Care for interpersonal relations at work, care for the human being in the man - machine relation and care in relation to the machine, the product and the workplace. Women's ways of relating to work also included a holistic perspective expressed in integrating both the private sphere and the work sphere in the social dialogue at work. The most conspicuous gender difference in the study is the difference in importance women and men give social skills at work. In general the women in the study emphasized the need for social skills more than the men did. The female responsible rationality is in this way reflected in the women's views on important skills at work. Another main result is that the need for social skills such as abilities to co-operate and communicate were seen as more important by both women and men the more complex technical systems they worked with. (Swedish text with summary in English)

Can Action Research Strengthen Democratic Dimensions in Gender Mainstreaming processes and procedures? This chapter explores how an Action Research approach and methodology can promote more democratic processes and practices in a gender mainstreaming change- and development case study. Gender and equality dimensions can on the other hand, the author argues, strengthen and extend democratic empowerment and deliberating ambitions in action research.The empirical base is the experiences from a case study in a large Swedish innovation system organized as a Triple Helix model and a Mode II science approach. The innovation system consists of 7 industrial partners and 5 technical academic divisions.The first part gives a short background to action research elements within earlier Swedish (and partly Nordic) gender and feminist research until today. The second main part draws on empirical data and findings in a ‘successful’ case study in the above mentioned innovation system. It explores embedded participative processes, learning procedures and theoretical inputs in relation to democratic dimensions relating to an action research approach. The final part scrutinizes challenges for action research with a democratic ambition when embedded in large Triple Helix systems. It discusses the concept of “robustness in science” by Novotny, Scott and Gibbons, the “governing” participatory ambition of the funding agent. It discusses the reflexivity perspective on researchers’ – participants’ dilemmas in creating a space with allows critical edge that allows for telling unwelcome truths (Kemmis,2006).

Detta bidrag presenterar ett pågående tillämpat genus- och jämställdhetsprojekt - Genus- och jämställdhetsutveckling i Fastelaboratoriet. Projektet syftar till en ökad och hållbar jämställdhetsintegrering och högre genusmedvetenhet i ett innovationssystem. I projektet deltar 8 industripartner samt 6 akademiska avdelningar och två genusforskare vid Luleå tekniska universitet. En genusteoretisk plattform “doing gender in organisations” kombineras i projektet med en interaktiv forsknings- och utvecklingsansats med syftet att öka hållbarheten i förändringsprocessen. I papret görs ett nedslag i processen hos en industriell partner. Bidraget beskriver erfarenheter från hur en grupp mellanchefer i ett tekniskt och mansdominerat industriföretag reflekterar över mötet med genusteori och lärande kopplat till nya handlingsmönster hos dem själva. Deltagande interaktiva metoder, som genusobservationer och ”concentric circles” beskrivs som ”framkallar” kulturen så att värderingar och normer som hindrar en ökad jämställdhetsintegrering och genuskompetensutveckling blir synliga. En övergripande diskussion förs om reflekterande läroprocesser och medforskning i organisationer med nyttoinriktade mål och en handlingskultur med starkt fokus på problemlösning inramat av ett naturvetenskapligt paradigm. Ett paradigm där en naturlig måttstock är den evidensbaserade forskningens. Papret problematiserar även hur förändringar i en jämställdhetsintegreringsprocess kan förstår och mätas i relation till begrepp som radikal och inkrementell förändring.