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An Investigation of Silence and a Scrutiny of Transparency: Re-examining Gender in Organization Literature Through the Concepts of Voice and Visibility

Simpson, Ruth, Lewis, Patricia (2005) An Investigation of Silence and a Scrutiny of Transparency: Re-examining Gender in Organization Literature Through the Concepts of Voice and Visibility. Human Relations, 58 (10). pp. 1253-1275. ISSN 0018 7267. (doi:10.1177/0018726705058940) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:9211)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726705058940

Abstract

This article presents a review of the literature on gender and organizations through the twin concepts of 'voice' and 'visibility'. In gender studies, as in other areas, the concepts have been used at different levels of abstraction to analyse inequality and exclusion. However, we argue that their potential richness has not been fully exploited and we accordingly produce a 'framework' which is based on 'surface' and 'deep' conceptualizations. These conform broadly to liberal feminist and post-structuralist interpretations respectively. With 'voice', we therefore distinguish between the 'surface' act of speaking/being heard as discussed within 'women's voice' literature and, at a deeper level, the power of silence as discursive practices eliminate certain issues from arenas of speech and sound. Similarly, we can see visibility as a 'surface' state of exclusion and difference while, at a deeper level, conceptualizations can usefully explore the power of 'invisibility' and the battle for the (male) norm. Through the concepts of voice and visibility, and through exploring commonalities and tensions between and within the two conceptual levels, we help to illuminate the increasingly diverse field of gender and organizational studies

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1177/0018726705058940
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Leadership and Management
Depositing User: Patricia Lewis
Date Deposited: 02 Oct 2008 23:25 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:47 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/9211 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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