A Case Study Approach to Stereotypes of Women in a Male-dominated Industry

Abstract

This dissertation will explore gender in male-dominated industries specifically the dissertation will review gender stereotypes and barriers and how they affect women working in a male-dominated industry. The literature looks at four key topics: gender stereotypes, the glass ceiling and other barriers, legislation and the male-dominated industries. The method used was qualitative in the form of semi-structured interviews. The primary research consisted of eight in depth interviews with women working in a manufacturing industry. The questions were tailored to help explore their experiences. The findings helped fill in some gaps found in the literature. The findings showed that women in a manufacturing industry still struggle with barriers and stereotypes, specifically from customers and some experienced it from their managers for being in a male-dominated industry. The full findings are explored in chapter 4 and 5.