A tool for distinguishing gender research from gender difference research

1
A tool for distinguishing gender research from
gender difference research examples from
work-related health

• Anne Hammarström
• Professor of Public Health
• Umeå University
• Sweden

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Aim

• to identify possible problems and /or challenges
  with regard to the concepts of sex and gender
  in work-related research
• to propose a tool to implement the theoretical
  insights
• The tool will be used to distinguish gender
  research from gender or sex difference research

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Interpretation of table

• Not a definite boundary between the two fields of
  research
• Gender difference research could be divided
  into different subgroups
• Gender difference researchers develop into gender
  researchers
• Not any opposition between quantitative and
  qualitative methods

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Some characteristics that differ gender research
from research on sex/gender differences in
medical research
Epistemo-logy Dominating epistemology is questioned, alternative view of knowledge are developed Not questioned
Process? Gender is seen as an on-going process (doing gender) Sex/gender is not seen as on-going processes
Analyses Gender is the analytic category Sex/gender is used as one of several variables
Level Gender is mainly analysed on a structural level Gender is analysed as an individual characteristic
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Definition of sex/gender Both are defined and problemized Not problemiz-ed,used synony-mously. Gender for Animals and cells.
Results New epistemolo-gical knowledge Additive knowledge
Power analyses Central Often missing
Theoretical development Central Often missing
The concept of gender role Criticized Often used, not problemized
Risk for essentialism Great awareness Great risk
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Risk for exaggerating sex/gender differences Great awareness Great risk
Differences within the group of men/women Often analysed Seldom analysed (except for age)
Men Masculinity research is a growing, dynamic part of gender research. Men are often analysed as variables. Lack of masculinity research.
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Conclusions

• Need for a tool as gender differences researchers
  claim preferential right of interpretation
• However, the questions in the tool need to be
  further developed in an active dialogue with
  gender researchers