The extent of gender fatigue transpiring within the workplace, and the ways it can be overcome - Dissertation Example

The only viable explanation for the disparaging gender treatments is gender fatigue. It is concluded that both victims and managers need to ignore gender fatigue and deal with incidents of gender inequality responsibly to void the dangers of gender equality losing ground. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Research Questions 5 Statement of the Problem 5 Significance of the Study 6 Aims and Objectives of the Study 7 Research Methodology 8 A Review of Literature 8 Gender Inequality in the Work Place 8 Why Gender Inequality Exists in Some Organizations 10 Gender Fatigue as the Driving Force Behind Gender Inequality in the Workplace 12 Results and Analysis 15 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 20 Introduction Gender fatigue is a phrase used to describe stagnation and complacent attitudes toward reforms and calls for gender equality (Dehhehy, 2012).

Initial evidence of gender fatigue was present during the 1980s when feminists were portrayed in public discourse as cartoon characters and as bitter women devoid of humour who projected a belief that all men were “pigs” and all “women are saints’ and that “women who stay at home are wasting their lives” (Sadker & Zittleman, 2009, p. 52). Kelan (2009) gives expression to gender fatigue in the workplace describing it as a situation in which organizations are self-described as “gender neutral”, yet there is evidence of gender discrimination and the prevailing attitude is one in which there is a general feeling that gender discrimination is thing of the past and “can happen,” but it is up to women to find solutions (p. 197). Kelan (2008) also argues that members of an organization will often describe their respective organizations as “gender neutral” although it is obvious to all that there is gender discrimination (p. 1). Workers will acknowledge that gender discrimination occurs in the workplace but will brush it off as unimportant to the work that they do.

According to Kelan (2008), this is evidence that these workers are “experiencing gender fatigue” and that they are “weary of thinking about gender inequality” (p. 1). Kelan (2010) points out that the practice of doing gender at work takes dual approaches in which gender equality is established and juxtaposed against a situation in which gender differences are once again pronounced. For example, a task is usually performed in which gender equality is highlighted and this will be followed by the allocation of “remedial work, through which gender hierarch is re-established” (Kelan, 2010, p. 176). This research study investigates the problems created by gender fatigue in the work place.

In particular, this research study is concerned with the prevailing attitude in organizations that take the position that they are gender neutral, yet gender inequality remains a part of the organizational culture. In these circumstances, described as gender fatigue, this research paper seeks to identify how the problems associated with achieving gender equality as a result of gender fatigue within organizations can be overcome. Research Questions In order to investigate the problem of gender fatigue in organizations and how gender fatigue can be overcome to