This incisive Handbook offers a timely and critical analysis of the gendered nature of public sector employment. Bringing together key theoretical, conceptual, and empirical research from around the world, Hazel Conley and Paula Koskinen Sandberg examine the ways in which female public sector workers experience intersectional discrimination in the workplace. Covering key sites of employment for women across the globe, the Handbook considers a comprehensive range of gendered public sector occupations. Chapters investigate how women's employment in public services is influenced by complex political and economic tensions, exploring core issues such as the relationship between gender, ethnicity, occupational segregation and work-life balance, flexible working, and workplace bullying; gendered pay and pension inequality; the sources of feminist activism in public sector employment; and the impact of the pandemic on feminised public sector occupations. Ultimately, the Handbook highlights that while change is possible, it will require a radical rethinking of how public services are valued and funded in society. Providing cutting-edge analysis and empirical data on gender and public sector employment, this Handbook will be an essential resource for academics and researchers interested in the role of the State as Employer. Its thought-provoking yet accessible insights into gendered employment will further benefit students of social policy, gender politics, employment relations, and the sociology of work.

The provision of state funded and democratically accountable care services represents one of the most potentially transformative advances in gendered social relations and equality for women by 'defamilizing' care and providing paid work. But the cost of providing these services, which women have access to them and how they should be provided are always at the forefront of debate, especially during economic crises. Socially funded and publicly accountable care services are therefore a key site of feminist activity, but also the frontline for spending cuts and 'reform' during times of austerity. Gender Equality in Public Services analyses how gender equality work in British public services is changing in response to factors including: equality legislation; the erosion of local democracy, privatisation of public services and new forms of feminist activism and leadership. It also assesses the challenges and opportunities for promoting women's equality in producing and using public services. Impacting upon developed and developing economies, the arguments in this challenging book explore the potential of equality and feminist activism and leadership for radical and transformational change. It will appeal to advanced students, researchers and practitioners interested in social policy, feminist organization theory, equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming practice.

Equality of opportunity is a phrase that is embedded in the language of most organizations, even if it is not always identifiable in their practices. Since the civil rights movement in the US, and anti-discrimination legislation of the 1970s in the UK, jolted organizations on both sides of the Atlantic into taking the concept seriously, public service delivery has often led the way both in terms of developing new approaches and sometimes in highlighting the disturbing extent of social inequality. Gender Equality in Public Services offers an analysis of how the organization of gender equality work in British public services is changing in response to legislation, the privatisation of and reduced state expenditure on public services, the devolution of power from central to regional and local government, and the rise of third wave feminism. The book also takes a look at the challenges and opportunities for promoting women's equality in employment and public services during these times of change.The issues covered affect most advanced economies and the argument developed in the book draws from and contributes to international feminist debates and research literature on the potential of equality and gender mainstreaming work for radical and transformational change, and to feminist organization theory. As such, it will appeal to students, researchers and practitioners interested in the lived experience of equality policy and change processes, feminist organization theory and gender mainstreaming practice.

The gender pay gap (GPG) exists in every European country, but it varies considerably, even in EU member states covered by the same legal principles on pay equality. Part of the variation can be explained by different patterns of social partnership. With current policy pressure to de-centralise collective bargaining and increase the percentage of pay linked to productivity, what role can social partnership play in tackling the GPG? Reporting on the findings of the European Commission funded research project "Close the Deal, Fill the Gap", this book uses an interdisciplinary analysis involving legal, economic, and sociological expertise, to explore the role of social partnership in GPG in Italy, Poland and the UK. Selected on the basis of their contrasting profiles in terms of legal regulation, industrial relations, systems of collective bargaining, coverage of collective agreements, and differing rates of the GPG, the in-depth study provides important insights into the main issues underlying the problem of reducing the gender pay gap which have led to guidelines in the negotiation of arrangements on GPG-related issues. Based on a unique comparative, interdisciplinary and action-oriented esearch project, it will be of great interest to all researchers and advanced students with an interest in women's representation in the workforce and the gender pay gap, as well as practitioners and policy makers in organisations such as trade unions and employers' associations.

Workplace discrimination is an experience that, despite four decades of equality legislation, continues to blight the lives of thousands every year. Discrimination persists on the protected grounds of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief and gender reassignment, as well as where no legal protection exists such as in relation to class background or migration status. The Handbook discusses recent changes in equality legislation as well as considering the limitations of legal frameworks in addressing inequality. However, complying with the law is only the first step towards addressing discrimination in the workplace, and the book goes beyond the law and provides evidence of good practice in promoting organisational culture change, as well as considering future directions for policy on equality action. The Gower Handbook of Discrimination at Work looks at both social justice and business case perspectives, and its message is not a negative one. The contributors have considerable depth of understanding of workplace discrimination, both as academics and equality practitioners, their work has contributed to policy formation and all are committed to improving the lives of people at work. They offer insights into existing international developments and make suggestions for the ways in which positive change can be realised. Practitioners, such as human resources professionals and other managers involved in addressing equality at work, trade unionists, equality trainers, and academics concerned with researching or teaching in the areas of employment and equality will all find this book of interest. Furthermore, it will be of value to students in the fields of business and management, employment law, equality and diversity and human resource management.

The gender pay gap (GPG) exists in every European country, but it varies considerably, even in EU member states covered by the same legal principles on pay equality. Part of the variation can be explained by different patterns of social partnership. With current policy pressure to de-centralise collective bargaining and increase the percentage of pay linked to productivity, what role can social partnership play in tackling the GPG? Reporting on the findings of the European Commission funded research project "Close the Deal, Fill the Gap", this book uses an interdisciplinary analysis involving legal, economic, and sociological expertise, to explore the role of social partnership in GPG in Italy, Poland and the UK. Selected on the basis of their contrasting profiles in terms of legal regulation, industrial relations, systems of collective bargaining, coverage of collective agreements, and differing rates of the GPG, the in-depth study provides important insights into the main issues underlying the problem of reducing the gender pay gap which have led to guidelines in the negotiation of arrangements on GPG-related issues. Based on a unique comparative, interdisciplinary and action-oriented esearch project, it will be of great interest to all researchers and advanced students with an interest in women's representation in the workforce and the gender pay gap, as well as practitioners and policy makers in organisations such as trade unions and employers' associations.

A teacher sees living and working through poetry.

Helen is the second child born into a family of nine children in the hilly undeveloped region of Eastern Kentucky just before the great depression. She learned at an early age that her right leg had been affected by polio. She refuses to believe or allow polio to prevent her from doing all the things her peers and siblings do. Maggie, her older sister, is her idol. She follows her wherever she goes and attempts to do all the things Maggie does: even though many are very difficult for her. All the children are responsible for many chores on the farm their father Lee had inherited from his father. The children have no toys except the ones their parents make for them: such as board games, wooden sleds, sliding boards and bran stuffed dolls. At the age of six Helen enters school to begin first grade in a one room schoolhouse. They use an outdoor toilet and a well to draw water for drinking. The schoolhouse is heated in winter by burning coal in a pot belly stove. There is only one teacher for all eight grades of children ranging in ages six through sixteen. The children carry their lunch in a four pound lard bucket and sit on a rock or under a tree to eat. When the sawmill where Lee works closes down, most of the men are left with no way to earn money. A few men are still working in the coal mines, but Lee hates the mines and looks for other ways to survive the depression. Some of the men turn to making moonshine and selling it to survive even though it is against the law to make moonshine. Helen spends her junior and senior high school years away in boarding school. She spends all her spare time working in the kitchen to earn money to help pay her tuition and room and board. The teenagersin the neighborhood are always busy on the weekends. That''s when they go square dancing, bean stringing and to box suppers. It is at one of these square dances that Helen meets and falls in love with her best friend''s brother James. He gives her an engagement ring and they plan to