Om jämställdhet - en intervjustudie av chefer i kommunal äldreomsorg

Sammanfattning: Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how managers in municpal eldrely care perceive gender equality. Sweden is one of the worlds most gender-equal counties, but the labour market in the country is highly gender-segregated, both vertically and horizontaly. This qualitative study was conducted through interviews with ten managers in municipal elderly care. Analysis and interpretiation of the interview material has been done through phenomenografic method to detect variations between the informants answers. The result of the studies analysis yielded twenty-three subcategories who led into eight categories and led to an outcome space consisting of working life, relationships and living environment.   The majority of the informants perceived that there were visible injustices whithin the municipal organizations. Gender equality was described as a sensitive or low-priority topic, both in organizations, by societal actors as well as in the private sphere. Womens health is mentioned by the informants as a particular problem area. In addition to occpational strain, gender roles and norms influence women to take on a great deal of responsibility in family life, leading to physical and mental exhaustion. Women were also perceived as exposed to economic inequality, where female-dominated occopational groups are valued less and have both poorer working conditions and status.  The conclusions of this study consists of that future studies should focus on the structures that promote gender equality in working life organizations, as well as factors that promote gender equality in individuals relationships and living environment. A masculine leadership, ethic persists, and hegemonic masculinities caracterize a power structure that guarantees mens superiority and womens subordination, which acts as an obstacle to gender equality in organizations, relationships and living environments.  Keywords: gender equality, gender-segregated, labour market, municipal manager in elderly care