Abstrakt projektu Intersekcionalita v sociologickém výzkumu sociálních nerovností ...

Intersekcionalita v sociologickém výzkumu sociálních nerovností a důsledků ekonomické krize na zaměstnanost

Řešitelka: PhDr. Alena Křížková, Ph.D.

Poskytovatel: Grantová agentura ČR

Doba řešení projektu: 2015–2017

The main goal of the research project “Intersectionality in sociological research of social inequalities and the impact of the economic crisis on employment” was to introduce and develop intersectionality as a theoretical and methodological tool into Czech sociology and to apply this approach to explore current dynamic processes in Czech society. This goal has been achieved by interconnection of theoretical and mixed method approach and also by development of scientific discussion on applicability of the intersectionality approach in Czech sociology. The research team conducted policy analysis, secondary quantitative analysis of survey data on working and living conditions and based on these results identified groups of population at the intersection of disadvantage focused primarily on access to employment, on working conditions and on coping strategies within these groups. Qualitative research including 144 in-depth interviews and 6 focus group discussions focused at these groups of population at the intersection of disadvantage (and advantage): women with small children returning to work after parental leave; young Vietnamese women and men living in the Czech Republic; self-employed women and men; disabled men and women and health disadvantage.

We found that the refamilization process, which shaped the institutional setting as well as informal norms for mothers, has had long-term deteriorating consequences for access of women to stable work corresponding to their competence. Mothers returning to labour market after long parental leave or women with other caring responsibilities are gradually locked in the secondary labour market and limited to precarious jobs which are becoming the only alternative to unemployment for some groups. Young Vietnamese migrants who came to Czech Republic as small children or were born here are choosing strategies of acquiring as high cultural capital as possible, mainly university education in prestigious fields, with the aim to overcome potential disadvantage and to avoid the trap of “migrant´s jobs” of their parents. Employer´s treatment of people with impairment is reflected by experts as statistical discrimination caused by inexperience with employment of this group. We also find that respondents at particular disadvantaging intersections use business ownership strategies to challenge race/ethnic and gender hierarchies. New methodological procedures for applicability of the intersectionality approach in research of social inequalities were developed. More precisely, we developed models based not only on determining the impact of individual variables on the phenomenon under study but also determining the impact of interactions of variables and their particular categories. This introduction of intersectionality research approach and practical demonstration of its application included a discussion on benefits and limits of this research.

Academic debate on the intersectionality approach and its applicability and development in the Czech sociology has been continually developed. This web based presentation of the research project has been created at the beginning of the project and important information including research results have been continually published on this web during the three years. A thematic block in journal Gender a výzkum/Gender and Research (Jsc) called “Intersectional approach in research of social inequalities” is currently co-edited by PhDr. Alena Křížková, Ph.D. and PhDr. Hana Hašková, Ph.D. and is planned for publication in 2018. On December 11th 2017 an international conference “Intersectional approach in research of social inequalities” has been organized by the project research team to support discussion on the applicability of intersectional approach in Czech sociology.

International cooperation with academic institutions in 13 countries has been developed within the course of this project. The “Comparative organisation inequalities network” (COIN) led by Prof. Donald Tomaskovic-Devey from University of Massachusetts, Amherst is based on comparative analysis of linked employer-employee data which prepares comparative as well as more topic focused papers for publication (https://www.umass.edu/coin/). Cooperation with colleagues at Arizona State University on qualitative comparative research of self-employed men and women in CR and US brought already important publication results and further publications have been submitted or are under preparation.

Information about the project and its results, which will be continually published, will be announced at this web page.

 

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