Career trajectories of white, Afrikaner women employed in the financial sector of Gauteng

Abstract

Using a qualitative, gender-sensitive approach, this particular case study explores the narratives of a group of white, Afrikaans-speaking, women employed in the financial sector of Gauteng. All of the participants were managers on various levels of the management hierarchy at the time of the interviews. I have chosen various feminist approaches to frame my study. These include standpoint feminism, intersectionality and moral feminism. Furthermore, I have incorporated theories around socialisation and the interpretive social science approach. Based on semi-structured interviews this study has aimed to explore women's experiences regarding their political context and their socialisation process and how this affects their career choices and ideals on how to 'balance' work and home life. In terms of career life, this study has attempted to illustrate some of the obstacles that women face when it comes to being promoted, but it has also looked at the positive elements of being a so-called 'career woman'. It has further attempted to show how women exude agency when they attempt to challenge out-dated but present patriarchal norms and values. This study has attempted to show how working women try to manage spending the little free time they have with family and their children and how most of them still have to assume the bulk of the home responsibilities. This particular group's position is fairly ambiguous within contemporary South African society, since they have been known to have enjoyed certain privileges in the past relative to other groups, but they have also suffered and still suffer gender discrimination and gender inequality under patriarchy. Recently some have come to question whether white women should also benefit from Affirmative Action policies. This is not an easy question to answer since it has been widely acknowledged that women experienced discrimination and gender inequality during the apartheid era differently (Kongolo&Bojuwoye 2006: 364). Thus, it is important to understand their accounts of the past, as well as, the future. AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie volg ʼn kwalitatiewe, gender-sensitiewe benadering wat die narratiewe ondersoek van ʼn geselekteerde groep wit, Afrikaans-sprekende vrouens wat tans aangestel is in die finansiële sektor van Gauteng. Al die deelnemers was aangestel as bestuurders op verskeie vlakke van die bestuurshiërargie. Ek het verskeie feministiese benaderings gebruik om my studie te raam, naamlik, standpunt feminisme, interseksionaliteit en morele feminisme. Verder het ek ook teorieë rondom sosialisering en die interpretatiewe sosiale wetenskap benadering, gebruik. Hierdie studie is gebaseer op semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude wat poog om vrouens se ervarings rondom hulle politieke konteks en hul sosialiseringsproses te ondersoek. Dit poog verder om te sien hoe die bogenoemde aspekte die deelnemers se keuses rondom loopbane en ideale beinvloed, veral ten opsigte van hoe hulle hul werk en huislewe 'balanseer'. Met betrekking tot loopbane, kyk hierdie studie na die potensiële struikelblokke wat kan voorkom in terme van verhogings en ander moontlikhede, maar ek ondersoek ook die positiewe elemente wat voorkom as mens ʼn loopbaan-gedrewe vrou is. Verder word daar gekyk na hoe vroue hul agentskap bewys wanneer hulle poog om argaïese, patriargale norme en waardes uit te daag in die werksomgewing asook die huishouding. Hierdie studie bestudeer hoe werkende vroue probeer om die beperkte tyd wat hulle het, te spandeer met hulle gesinne en kinders maar ook hoe hulle nog steeds die meerderheid van die huishoudelike take moet verrig. Hierdie spesifieke groep se posisie is dubbelsinnig in die kontemporêre Suid Afrikaanse konteks, want in die verlede het hulle sekere voordele bo ander groepe geniet, maar hulle het ook onderdrukking ondervind, en hulle ondervind dit steeds ten opsigte van patriargie. Onlangs was daar bevraagteken of wit vroue ook voordeel moet trek uit regstellende aksie wetgewing. Dit is nie ʼn maklike vraag om te beantwoord nie, maar dit is alombekend dat die meerderheid Suid Afrikaanse, vrouens diskriminasie en gender ongelykheid ervaar het tydens die apartheid era, al was hierdie ervarings verskillend (Kongolo&Bojuwoye 2006: 364). Dus, is dit belangrik om die perspektiewe oor die verlede en die toekoms in ag te neem wanneer daar gepoog word om huidige besluite te verstaan. Copyright