Textile factories determined not to employ males, ...
Textile factories determined not to employ males, The mirror
Date: January 1, 1970
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Men are unable to find jobs in the textile industry due to managers preference for women workers.
Men are unable to find jobs in the textile industry due to managers preference for women workers.
This article may be used to:
- Explore gender stereotypes and backlash.
Trainer’s notes
This case study is an example of how the media can reinforce gender stereotypes and send subtle messages on the struggle for gender equality.
In this article, the focus is on male workers who are unable to find employment in the textile industry. The majority of the voices sourced are men, including the Minister of Employment. One woman – a teacher at a textile school – is interviewed.
Men are portrayed in the article as skilled and trained, while the women are depicted as having less skills than their male counterparts – ‘men told our reporter that they envy their female counterparts who got employment irrespective of whether they had the textile work skills or not’.
The article, which appeared on the front page, also is a form of backlash, because it coveys a subtle message that gender equality will lead to reverse discrimination (women oppressing men). In the article it is a female recruitment officer who allegedly says she will not hire men. And the piece is written from a perspective of men being discriminated against.
The story however, fails to substantiate the claim that men are denied employment in the textile industry. The majority of the sources that support this claim are unidentified. The reporter also uses one visit to a factory to generalize the reality.
The reporter does not question why the majority of the workers in the textile industry are women, or why the industry prefers to employ them. The fact that men are not being employed in the industry may not be due to a ‘preference’, but indicative of discrimination in the workplace against women who have fewer skills. The foreign nationals, both women and men, who are the managers and supervisors in the industry may also feel less threatened by women workers.
This story is weak in its analysis, its use of sources and it reinforces the gender stereotype of the male breadwinner. The angle, which is not well substantiated by the information in the story, reflects a subtle gender bias that women are taking jobs away from qualified men.
Training exercise
Exercise one: Read the case study and discuss the following:
- How are men portrayed in this story?
- How are women portrayed?
- What stereotypes are reinforced?
- Does this story promote backlash against gender equality?
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