The feminization of the accounting area: a basic qualitative study

Studies support that, when the percentage of functions women occupy in a profession increases, the total remuneration and prestige of the profession drop. In Brazil, the feminization process of the professions has been largely investigated in education, but no Brazilian studies in the accounting are...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Lemos Júnior, Luiz Carlos, Paulo da Silveira, Nereida Salette, Santini, Rafael Barufaldi
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:Brasil
Institución:Academia Brasileira de Ciências Contábeis (Abracicon)
Repositorio:Revista de Educação e Pesquisa em Contabilidade
Idioma:portugués
inglés
español
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.www.repec.org.br:article/1244
Acceso en línea:https://www.repec.org.br/repec/article/view/1244
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Género
Contabilidad
Mujer
Estereotipo
Papeles Sociales.
Gênero
Contabilidade
Mulher
Estereótipo
Papéis Sociais.
Gender
Accounting
Woman
Stereotype
Social Roles.
Descripción
Sumario:Studies support that, when the percentage of functions women occupy in a profession increases, the total remuneration and prestige of the profession drop. In Brazil, the feminization process of the professions has been largely investigated in education, but no Brazilian studies in the accounting area have been identified. This study uses the analytic proposal by Yannoulas (2011), who separates the process into quantitative feminization, numerical predominance of women and qualitative feminization, an association of activities as naturally feminine. Through an exploratory and descriptive research, this study aimed to understand, from the women’s perspective, how the qualitative and quantitative feminization process of the Accounting functions is related to gender stereotypes. The research was undertaken at an accounting firm where women were the largest group of employees (82.5%). Twenty-eight out of 33 women answered the structured interview. Using the content analysis proposed by Flores (1994), the interconnection of the quantitative and qualitative feminization processes was verified. The division of activities between operational (firm) and analytical (profession) permeates the power and opportunity distribution process between men and women. From the perspective of the gender relations, the existence of stereotypes was observed, permeating the understanding that women are better prepared for the operational activities in the area, as they are more detailed and gentle than men. Through the discursive naturalization of the gender roles and the segregation of the operational and analytic activities, despite the increasing number of women in the profession, the institutionalized inequality continues in Accounting.