Tidmarsh, M. orcid.org/0000-0002-6063-9805 (2024) Gender in a ‘caring’ profession: The demographic and cultural dynamics of the feminisation of the probation service in England and Wales. Probation Journal, 71 (3). 234 -254. ISSN 0264-5505
Abstract
The number of women working in occupations that lay claim to professional status has increased markedly in recent decades, but the speed and extent of the ‘feminisation’ of the probation service in England and Wales render it unique. Such change has occurred against the backdrop of attempts to present the service in more ‘masculine’ terms, to increase punitiveness while maximising its efficiency. This article seeks to move explanations for feminisation beyond gender stereotypes about care work. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 38 members of staff from across the probation estate, and with particular regard to the unification of services, it explores the demographic and cultural dynamics of feminisation. The article argues that the sustained (and ongoing) devaluation of probation's professional project, pay and working conditions have impacted retention and recruitment in such a way that has filtered into the gender composition of the service.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2023. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). |
Keywords: | caring professions; feminisation; gender; probation; pay and working conditions |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Law (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 10 Jan 2024 12:10 |
Last Modified: | 09 Dec 2024 12:05 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/02645505231221240 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:207415 |