WOMENS IDENTITY COMMUNICATION IN THE MASCULINE WORK PLACE: A CASE STUDY OF THREE INDONESIAN WOMEN OF LOWER STATUS OF OCCUPATION

Vidyarini, Titi Nur and Indrayani, Inri Inggrit (2013) WOMENS IDENTITY COMMUNICATION IN THE MASCULINE WORK PLACE: A CASE STUDY OF THREE INDONESIAN WOMEN OF LOWER STATUS OF OCCUPATION. In: Congress of Association of Asian Womens Studies, 10-12-2013 - 12-12-2013, Philipina - Philipina.

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Abstract

Globalization makes women in third world countries entered the public domain. With limited education, these women should compete with men in the workplace. This dichotomy confirms the physical differences between men and women. Males public domain is a tough world, full of competition, the pursuit of achievement and fulfillment of ambitions. Women in the domestic sphere associated with the household chores and the care of social functioning. This area of womens job was seen as not having high difficulty and less prestigious. The time when women go into the labor force, her existence is often questioned. Is she able to compete with colleagues who are men? Whether she has sufficient ability to do her job? Such questions will be asked by the society when a woman entered the public domain. This study reveals how women communicate their identity in the world of masculine work place. In particular, women in lower social classes are vulnerable to practice of discrimination and harassment. The informants in this study were three women working as a security staff, a taxi driver and a garbage collector. The study found that women communicate their identity as woman through the role and value orientation of their working life. Although working in public realm, the informants still conduct the domestic role of women. To provide economic needs and voice independence are their orientation to work. The values in life were shown in the informants’ work environment, especially when they have to take a stand and making decisions. Womens identity is communicated non - verbally to their men colleagues as a form of resistance to the environmental attitudes of the gender biased job.

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