Gender differences in working and organizational culture: Women workers at an industrial workplace

Starting from the premise that the gender perspective is one of the paradigms that could be helpful in interpreting social processes in socialism and the subsequent transition period, this analysis uses the term gender as a useful category in historical analysis. The study is therefore focused on the post 1989 situation of communities artificially swollen by the socialist forced industrialization, with a special eye for the situation of women. The study uses a practice-based approach in describing the everyday life (work, family, feasts, etc.) of the community, and women's status, work, gender relations (women-women, and women-men relations) within the community. The aim of the study is to interpret social change as historical process, as transformation within which there is a relation between social practice and social structure. The essay describes the conceptual framework of gender, listing those disciplines, and theoretical positions, in which one can situate the terminology of this research in relation with the conceptual apparatuses of these disciplines. This is followed by a section on methodology describing the methods used and the problems encountered during the research. The essay ends with the presentation of the case studied. The aim of the study is to concentrate on the history of social change produced by the interaction of social practice and social structure and on outlining and understanding some problems of the current situation with special emphasis on women and work.

Keywords: transition, work, women, social structure, social practice