Masculinities, Gender Equality and Crisis Management (Routledge Key Themes in Health and Society)

The overarching mission of the rescue services comprises three main areas of responsibility: protection against disasters and accidents; crisis management; and civil defence. This mission covers a long chain of obligations in trying to improve societal prevention capabilities and manage threats, risks, accidents, and disasters concerning generic as well as individual safety. It follows a reactive social chain of threat-risk-crisis-crisis management-care-rehabilitation. The authors in this book show that the interesting occupational characteristics of these societal duties are their connection to gender and crisis management in a wider sense. Gendered practices, processes, identities, and symbols are analytical lenses that provide a particular understanding and explanatory base that has received far too little attention in the academic literature. This book identifies four major themes in relation to a gendered understanding of the rescue services, and more generally emergency work: Masculine heroism Intersectional understandings of sexuality, class, and race Gender and technology Gender equality and mainstreaming processes This book shows how the rescue services constitute a productive ground for contemporary gender studies, including feminist theory, masculinity and sexuality studies. Its critical perspective provides new directions for emergency work and crisis management in a broader sense, and in particular for scholars and practitioners in these areas. Notes On Contributors -- Introduction -- Masculinity, Sexualisation And The Proactive Turn In The Firefighter Profession / Mathias Ericson -- Masculinity, Emotions And Communities Of Relief Among Male Emergency Medical Technicians / Morten Kyed -- Masculinities And The Dynamics Of Labour And Power In The Watch / Sarah O'connor -- Institutional Patriarchy, Auto-critique And Resilience : A Comparative Gaze / Dave Baigent -- Stray Dogs And Women Are Prohibited In The Sentry On The Spatial Effects Of Fire Fighters Homosocial Practices / Jennie Olofsson -- Unpacking The Black Box Of Ida : Standardisation And Disappearing Gender / Katherine Harrison -- Collaboration As A Tool For Implementing Equality Politics / Anne-charlott Callerstig And Kristina Lindholm -- Agents For Change? : Gender Equality Efforts In The Swedish Rescue Services / Ulrika Jansson -- Index. Edited By Mathias Ericson And Ulf Mellström. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Masculinities, Gender Equality and Crisis Management shows how the rescue services constitute a productive ground for contemporary gender studies, including feminist theory, masculinity and sexuality studies. Its critical perspective provides new directions for emergency work and crisis management in a broader sense, and in particular for scholars and practitioners in these areas.