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Sisters doing it for themselves?: A Postfeminist critique of Entrepreneurship

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>2017
<mark>Journal</mark>Academy of Management Proceedings
Issue number1
Volume2017
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date30/10/17
<mark>Original language</mark>English
EventAcademy of Management conference - Atlanta
Duration: 4/08/20178/08/2017

Conference

ConferenceAcademy of Management conference
Period4/08/178/08/17

Abstract

Within this paper, we critically analyse the intertwined discourses of neo- liberalism, entrepreneurship and postfeminism. Given its foundations upon autonomy, individualism and self-responsibility, entrepreneurship has been positioned as central to the contemporary neo-liberal turn with its focus upon developing an enterprising self in a context of choice and possibility. This echoes the postfeminist agenda where women, emancipated through access to education, employment and positive cultural representations of liberated, economically independent actors, are being encouraged to create new ventures as independent business women. We critique the notion that entrepreneurship is a natural conduit for the postfeminist women to exploit the opportunities offered by encroaching neo-liberalism. Using policy discourses from two contrasting advanced economies, Sweden and the UK, aimed at encouraging women into enterprise, we illustrate how the poststructuralist message is articulated through an aspirational rhetoric of opportunity whilst reproducing gender inequalities.