Men, masculinities and flexible work in a local government authority

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the strongly entrenched connection between hegemonic masculinity and participation in full-time employment. It subsequently examines the extent to which male flexible workers in local government represent a challenge to this orthodoxy.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on findings from interviews with 12 men and 13 women undertaking flexible work in a local government authority in Australia.
Findings – It was found that while two of the male flexible workers articulate alternative discourses of masculine subjectivity dissociated from participation in full-time work, the remainder demonstrate the continued centrality of a full-time presence in the workplace to hegemonic masculinity.
Originality/value – This paper argues that these findings are indicative of the continued dominance of masculinities in local government organisations.