Gendering Change? Management, Masculinity and the Dynamics of Incorporation

The recent economic and political climate, which has reshaped all sectors of education in the last few years, has brought dramatic changes to the management and finance of further education (FE). FE institutions have become 'incorporated' as autonomous and self-regulating organisations. The central concern of this article is the effect that the interpretation of incorporation has had on gender relations within these organisations. Many colleges have taken the opportunity to 'restructure', redefining the management hierarchy to consist of new posts to do with finance, selling and premises. The association of these tasks with aspects of masculinity has meant that incorporation has both utilised gender and had gendered consequences. Masculinity is perceived as an integral quality in the achievement of efficient management, a fact which has favoured the promotion of men and the marginalisation of women. How women have responded to these changes is explored in this article.