Retrenched male workers' sense of masculinity and its implications to intra-household gender relations : the case of Khulna Newsprint Mill, Bangladesh | |
| Author | Haque, Md. Mozammel |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-04-05 |
| Subject(s) | Masculinity--Bangladesh Men--Bangladesh |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-04-05 |
| Abstract | In the course of their retrenchment this study examines men's negotiation with their masculine identities, emerging household gender relations and effects of masculinity on strategies that household adopt at the time of its economic crisis. For examination, together with their female partners some 60 permanently retrenched male workers of Khulna Newsprint Mill, Khulna, Bangladesh of age not exceeding 45 years were interviewed in this research. Among them 30 male partners have stable (limited but regular) income and the remaining 30 male partners have unstable (but limited and irregular) income in their current position. In this study male and female partners were interviewed separately in different areas of masculine identities like household decision-making, men's share in household chores, household breadwinning and public masculinity as well as other general masculine identities. Female partners were interviewed to cross-check male partner's responses regarding their changing sense of masculinity. Study shows that the strategies adopted by households to cope with the crisis are affected by and affect masculine identities of the male partners. Men of both income statuses adopt the strategies that demonstrate their traditional masculine identities as maximum as possible however, without becoming overpowered by their family members, particularly by their wives. In course of their stable (but inadequate) and unstable (also inadequate) financial support men with stable income and men with unstable income negotiate with their masculine identities differently. Male partners in their income crisis perceive to keep their identity as "household provider" instead of keeping their identity as "public men" to withstand with their image as "man". In the first place they did not want to affect their family members by their income crisis. With few exceptions men of both income statuses try their level best to uphold their identity as household provider using different available forces. This study also concludes that unemployment status of male partners does not always give chances of empowerment to their female partners as these men do not simply reject their masculine identities even at the time of unemployment. Certain available discourses enable them to be stick on their household masculine identities. |
| Year | 2004 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-04-05 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kusakabe, Kyoko; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Earth, Barbara; Sim, Cecilia Ng Choon; Amin, A. T. M. Nurul ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technoloyg Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2004 |