TY - JOUR

T1 - Sisters doing it for themselves?

T2 - Academy of Management conference

AU - Ahl, Helene

AU - Marlow, Susan

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - Gender

KW - Postfeminism

U2 - 10.5465/AMBPP.2017.93

DO - 10.5465/AMBPP.2017.93

M3 - Journal article

VL - 2017

JO - Academy of Management Proceedings

JF - Academy of Management Proceedings

SN - 0065-0668

IS - 1

Y2 - 4 August 2017 through 8 August 2017

ER -