Autor/es
Descripción
ver mas
Colaborador
Senén González, Cecilia
Diana Menéndez, Nicolás
Materias
Idioma
spa
Extent
304 p.
Derechos
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Formato
application/pdf
Identificador
Cobertura
ARG
Abstract
This thesis studies the processes and dynamics of trade union representation in relation to the emergence of new claims made by workers within the context of fourth-wave feminism. The first step in the research process is to bring up the question about union organizations’ survival skills, as well as the development of new strategies aimed at protecting labor rights facing the crisis in the world of work. Such a question places itself in the debate on unions’ organizational survival conditions, bearing in mind the transformations that have driven economic restructuring processes and globalization in the world of work for four decades (Hyman, 2015; Hayter, 2015).
As a result of a process that lasted decades during which labor rights were unprotected and social ties were dismantled, union forces have seen a decrease not only in the number of their members, but also in their political influence on a world that increasingly goes global. As the working class becomes fragmented and its heterogeneity deepens, the chance of trade unions including groups of displaced, excluded, and atomized workers is challenged and made more complex. Considering a hostile global context for traditional ways of protecting workers interests, the persistence of the “union form” (García Linera, 2015; Abal et al., 2012) leads us to wonder about its ability to articulate/assimilate new claims. Trade unions have had to renew their resources, capacities and strategies while building new alliances with social movements and non-governmental organizations with the intention of recruiting new members, revitalizing their repertoires of collective action, and expanding their agendas (Hyman, 2001; Kainer, 2009; Murray, 2017).
Redefining the union form leads to the discussion about the connections between the labor movement and other social movements. Among such political and union links, I include agreements and disagreements between union activism and feminist movements during the last two decades (Arruzza, 2010; Andújar, 2014; Gago, 2019).
Framed by these debates, the thesis explores union capacities to represent new feminist claims. This study is limited to the period of 2015-2019 in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires.
According to the main hypothesis of this work, feminist activation experienced by union women during those years mobilized aspects related to identity, methods and performance of union practices and action strategies implemented so that feminist claims could be included into union organizations.
As regards its general objective, the thesis proposes to analyze the mechanisms of trade union representation, as well as organizational challenges and strategies to address feminist claims expressed by new ways in which groups of workers mobilize and identify themselves. Besides, an attempt was made to identify how feminist claims are formulated in trade unions, through what action repertoires and by means of what strategies, and how unions have reacted to them.
In order to expand on the objectives and confirm the hypotheses that were proposed, the research process adopted a qualitative method strategy prioritizing an approach focused on the subjects of the representative relationship, the interests and claims being represented, and the forms taken on by representative action in different union scenarios with various degrees of institutionalization. Therefore, the analysis model of the thesis addresses the connection among three dimensions shaping the research: 1) identity dimension, 2) organizational structure, and 3) union sociability, based on the case study of three union organizations: the Health Workers Association in Buenos Aires (ATSA), the Subway and PreMetro Workers Association (AGTSyP) and the Bank Association. Simultaneously, fieldwork was completed with exploratory inquiries into experiences of women inter-union articulation, which allowed exploring the creation of solidarity networks and alliances with the feminist movement.
The thesis makes a twofold contribution. In theoretical terms, it deals with a classic topic in union studies from a standpoint that opens a dialogue between the literature on union representation and revitalization and the critical approaches of gender studies on collective action. Furthermore, regarding case study, the work provides theoretical, methodological, and empirical elements to understand the feminist implications for union women action types and union responses to innovative forms of organization and claims.
As a result of a process that lasted decades during which labor rights were unprotected and social ties were dismantled, union forces have seen a decrease not only in the number of their members, but also in their political influence on a world that increasingly goes global. As the working class becomes fragmented and its heterogeneity deepens, the chance of trade unions including groups of displaced, excluded, and atomized workers is challenged and made more complex. Considering a hostile global context for traditional ways of protecting workers interests, the persistence of the “union form” (García Linera, 2015; Abal et al., 2012) leads us to wonder about its ability to articulate/assimilate new claims. Trade unions have had to renew their resources, capacities and strategies while building new alliances with social movements and non-governmental organizations with the intention of recruiting new members, revitalizing their repertoires of collective action, and expanding their agendas (Hyman, 2001; Kainer, 2009; Murray, 2017).
Redefining the union form leads to the discussion about the connections between the labor movement and other social movements. Among such political and union links, I include agreements and disagreements between union activism and feminist movements during the last two decades (Arruzza, 2010; Andújar, 2014; Gago, 2019).
Framed by these debates, the thesis explores union capacities to represent new feminist claims. This study is limited to the period of 2015-2019 in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires.
According to the main hypothesis of this work, feminist activation experienced by union women during those years mobilized aspects related to identity, methods and performance of union practices and action strategies implemented so that feminist claims could be included into union organizations.
As regards its general objective, the thesis proposes to analyze the mechanisms of trade union representation, as well as organizational challenges and strategies to address feminist claims expressed by new ways in which groups of workers mobilize and identify themselves. Besides, an attempt was made to identify how feminist claims are formulated in trade unions, through what action repertoires and by means of what strategies, and how unions have reacted to them.
In order to expand on the objectives and confirm the hypotheses that were proposed, the research process adopted a qualitative method strategy prioritizing an approach focused on the subjects of the representative relationship, the interests and claims being represented, and the forms taken on by representative action in different union scenarios with various degrees of institutionalization. Therefore, the analysis model of the thesis addresses the connection among three dimensions shaping the research: 1) identity dimension, 2) organizational structure, and 3) union sociability, based on the case study of three union organizations: the Health Workers Association in Buenos Aires (ATSA), the Subway and PreMetro Workers Association (AGTSyP) and the Bank Association. Simultaneously, fieldwork was completed with exploratory inquiries into experiences of women inter-union articulation, which allowed exploring the creation of solidarity networks and alliances with the feminist movement.
The thesis makes a twofold contribution. In theoretical terms, it deals with a classic topic in union studies from a standpoint that opens a dialogue between the literature on union representation and revitalization and the critical approaches of gender studies on collective action. Furthermore, regarding case study, the work provides theoretical, methodological, and empirical elements to understand the feminist implications for union women action types and union responses to innovative forms of organization and claims.
Título obtenido
Doctora de la Universidad de Buenos Aires en Ciencias Sociales
Institución otorgante
Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales