Ida-Maria Börjesson

About Ida-Maria Börjesson

Ida Maria Börjesson is a doctoral student and lecturer in gender studies at Örebro University.

In her thesis project, she examines how women mobilise gender through formal networks and women's relationships with women as a resource for career advancement. As previous studies have shown, women's networks have been used both as a career tool and as a way to achieve more gender-equal careers. However, they rarely seem to result in either better career opportunities for individual women or more gender-equal organisations. Nevertheless, women continue to start and participate in networks. The question is therefore what other purposes or orientations may exist and why is it so important that networks are for women only? The thesis is a qualitative study and is based on analyses of websites, interviews and observations from eight networks, all of which were started by women and have the stated purpose of helping women further their careers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the founders and leaders of the networks and a selection of members. A total of 13 observations were carried out at various network meetings. Theoretically, the analysis is based on gender as orientation (Ahmed, 2006) and gender as collective mobilisation (Martin, 2001; van den Brink & Benschop, 2014). The combination means that the focus of the analysis is not only on how gender is done through speech and practice but also through certain emotional orientations.

Ida Maria Börjesson teaches gender studies at undergraduate level.