Scrutinizing the archetypical relation between vulnerability, organizing and women

Gaggiotti, Hugo; Díaz-Carrión, Isis Arlene

Abstract

Vulnerability has become a focal point of ethical, philosophical, social, and environmental debates, with its usage extending across various fields of inquiry to describe both human and non-humans. Often, "vulnerable" is used to refer to others —whether a "vulnerable person," species, or environment— highlighting the externalization of vulnerability. Different perspectives, including the feminist, have emphasized both the universal and specific dimensions of vulnerability, acknowledging its deep ties to cultural, social, and political factors that shape entitlements and experiences (Harding, 1986; Wahl, 2014). Intersectional research reveals that vulnerability is not an homogeneous experience but is shaped by intersecting inequalities based on gender, class, race, nationality, and citizenship (Durbin and Conley, 2010; Shelton and Lugo, 2021; Verloo, 2006). This chapter engages with archetypes of otherness, such as gender and race, which have long been used to express binary differentiation (Elsrud, 2017). By examining archetypical and stereotypical universal and particular conceptions of women, organizations and vulnerability, the chapter aims to provide a nuanced understanding of how women vulnerability has been constructed and experienced throughout history and in contemporary organizational settings.

• Online Publication Date: Mar 4, 2025
• Publication Date: Mar 4, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jan 20, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 5, 2026
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 5-16
• Book Title: Women, Organizations and Vulnerability
• Chapter Number: 1
• ISBN: 9781032623191
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032627175-3
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13627379