Gender Issues on Change Agenda – Practising Intersectionality in Action Research

Tuula Heiskanen, Katri Otonkorpi‐Lehtoranta, Minna Leinonen and Hanna Ylöstalo

Gender, Work and Organization, 2018, vol. 25, issue 5, 459-474

Abstract: This article investigates how intersectionalities are handled in the orientations and positions of organization members when conducting feminist action research in workplaces. The Finnish Defence Forces are used as an empirical example of a hierarchical and gendered organization. The article employs the work conference method based on democratic dialogue with the aim of bringing together the divergent experiences and perspectives of the organization's members. Our interpretation is that the intersectional application of the work conference method reveals issues that would not have otherwise arisen. The method helps to highlight the habits and routines that are taken for granted in organizations. We suggest the use of the method both for identifying patterns of inequalities and for seeking remedies for them. The experiences gained from the empirical study support a multi‐method approach to action research. A more theory‐based consciousness of social positions and their interconnections will serve the development process. As a result, action research efforts might also become better anchored in organizational structures and practices.

Date: 2018
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