Browsing by Author "Tennant, Jade Lancaster"
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- ItemIts not a womans job : an exploration of the gendered nature of employment in the South African private security industry(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Tennant, Jade Lancaster; Heinecken, Lindy; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology & Social Anthropology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Private security provision is a career which has traditionally been associated with men and regarded as a masculine occupation. Since the adoption of the UN resolution 1325 there has been an effort to address issues of gender inequality in the security sectors, such as the police and the military, both internationally and in South Africa (Mobekk, 2010:278). However, gender statistics of the South Africa private security industry (PSI) suggest that the industry lags in terms of gender equality and the implementation of gender mainstreaming goals. While there exists a large body of literature pertaining to gender in public security institutions, such as the police and the military, there is little literature focusing on the PSI. In this study I aim to address this gap by exploring the gendered nature of employment in the South African PSI and the possible barriers women might face when working and seeking employment in this industry. As little literature exists on this topic, semi-structured interviews with employees of four private security companies, operating in Cape Town, were my main source of data. A critical qualitative approach and research design was utilised to examine why these companies employ so few women. The interview guides were framed around two broad issues, namely the attitude towards and experiences of women working in the PSI and the barriers women face when working and seeking work in the PSI. Document analysis of several PSiRA annual reports, and observations were also utilised to achieve triangulation. The conclusion reached is that employment, and employment practices, within the South African PSI are highly gendered, and women routinely experience exclusion and discrimination within this sector. The industry is characterised by a masculine organisational culture and a division of labour that reflects essentialist and patriarchal attitudes towards sex and gender, in terms of the abilities and capabilities of men and women. Consequences include that women struggle to find employment within the PSI, a high employer in a country beset with unemployment and poverty. Furthermore, women’s minority status in this industry means that they are unlikely to shift problematic perceptions of women in security roles, despite the fact that academics suggest that they have a unique contribution to make in such roles (Lopes, 2011:15; Mobekk, 2010:281). Challenges to women’s inclusion are the persisting patriarchal rhetoric at a societal level, sexual harassment in the workplace and the weak regulation of equal employment legislation within the industry. Therefore, until such a time that the industry undergoes transformation in terms of occupational culture, and employment equality is prioritised, women are likely to remain underrepresented in the South African PSI.