Beyond the water cooler
How Online Groups Foster Social Capital for Women in the Skilled Trades
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6059109 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Daniela Gatti (0009-0004-0867-3418, Centre for Global Health Research), Mark Julien (0000-0003-0831-6416, Brock University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-29 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Equal Opportunities International (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1758-7093 • E-ISSN: 2040-7149 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/edi-09-2024-0438 |
| OpenAlex | W4414154286 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Purpose This paper examines the current gap between the labor supply and demand of skilled tradespeople. While it is often touted that women can be a potential source of skilled tradespeople to help bridge this gap, several barriers remain. The authors examined the role of social capital in the form of online support groups to attract and retain women in the skilled trades professions. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews were conducted and recorded with 16 women in male-dominated skilled trades (e.g. electrician and plumber) in Canada. Thematic analysis was used to identify social capital, including the role of online support groups. Findings Unlike other studies that identified family and friends as crucial to developing social and cultural capital among women in the skilled trades, our participants noted that their friends and family were often not as supportive as they would have liked. Online support groups were mentioned as key to building social capital that helped these women to overcome various challenges such as ostracism, harassment and stigma. Originality/value There is a lack of research identifying the mechanisms involved in how women succeed in male-dominated trades. This research contributes to closing this gap
Harassment · Social capital · Thematic analysis · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Social Capital and Networks
Stigma
Distinction
Male and female perspectives on equality measures for the UK construction sector
Black Women and Race and Gender Tensions in the Trades
Women's Experience of Workplace Interactions in Male‐Dominated Work
A trade of one's own”
Gender, Field, and Habitus
When Working Hard Is Not Enough for Female and Racial/Ethnic Minority Apprentices in the Highway Trades
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Visibility and voice in organisations
Women who 'talk the tools' and 'walk the work
Gendered Homophobia and the Contradictions of Workplace Discrimination for Women in the Building Trades
Crossing the Line
| Highly cited | No |
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