The impact of gender stereotype-related stress on female education managers: an education management perspective
Abstract
English: The international tendencies regarding career changes result in the
transmutation of social environments, which also imply a shift in
gender roles. This paradigm shift effects females in particular, as the
traditional female roles are changing: a process which is accelerated in South
Africa by the introduction of gender equity legislation. The new legislation
implies that the non-traditional work opportunities for women have increased
in all sectors of employment and in particular in the education sector as 62.6%
of the South African teachers' corps consist of women. Although the above
mentioned changes could have positive effects, changes in the workplace could
cause stress as a person's career is one of the greatest sources of stress.
The above mentioned changes implies that more women will also hold
education management positions and that more women will be subjected to
career stress, which could negatively influence their productivity and
performance. In addition to this, women are also subjected to strain caused by
gender stereotyping as a result of patriarchal beliefs. Women seeking equity in
the education management world, might constantly be confronted by
stereotypical gender views which could enhance their stress levels and cause
them to forfeit management efficiency.
Due to a lack of profound research on the stress outcomes of female managers,
especially in the field of education, this study aims at amplifying the existing
body of knowledge on the impact of gender-related stress on female education
managers to propose guidelines for coping with the potential negative impacts
thereof. In order to achieve the above, this study commenced with a literature
overview on the origin of gender roles and stereotypes and the effect of stress
and gender stereotype-related stress on the performance and well-being of
female education managers, as well as the management thereof. It was found
that socialisation processes and outdated societal traditions gave rise to the
stereotypical beliefs held by society and that those beliefs are inculcated by
upbringing and reinforced by the school. The literature review revealed that
stress is enhanced by gender stereotyping. In order to cope with the negative
influence of stress, the organisation as well as the individual has a
responsibility towards a stress alleviating programme which should include
aspects such as training in management skills to increase self -esteem in order
to fit into non-traditional occupations, to deal with female stereotyping and
male chauvinism.
Because the stress levels of female managers, their attitudes towards
egalitarianism and their experiences of gender stereotypes, form the core of
this study, empirical investigations, consisting of quantitative as well as
qualitative investigations were undertaken. Six female education managers
from diverse cultures and a variety of management levels were selected as
participants for this study. The Occupational Stress Inventory was used to
determine the stress levels of the participants and the Sex-Role-Egalitarianism
questionnaire to monitor and understand their behaviour outcomes. Thereafter
in-depth unstructured interviews were conducted with the six female
education managers to reveal the prejudice and agony they experience due to
female stereotyping in the education sector. The participants revealed harsh
examples of lack of respect, direct gender discrimination, misogyny,
patriarchy, sexual and emotional harassment, and many more. They also
revealed how these practices influence their efficiency as managers, their
physical conditions and general well-being. In order to cope with stress, the
participants made use of medication, alcohol, yoga and some exercising, but
most of them found it difficult to manage their stress as they did not have the
time to relax.
In the last chapter of the study, the researcher formed a synthesis of the
findings and indicated how female education managers were influenced by
stereotyping and the impact it had on their stress levels and work performance.
A stress management model was also provided for the
empowerment of female education managers in order to curb the increasing
burden of stress and thus cultivating an efficient and healthy education work
force. Afrikaans: Die internasionale tendense ten opsigte van beroepsverandering bring
ook verandering in sosiale omgewings mee, wat 'n verskuiwing in
geslagsrolle impliseer. Hierdie paradigmaskuif beïnvloed die vroulike geslag
in die besonder, aangesien die tradisionele vroulike rolle aan die verander is:
'n proses wat in Suid-Afrika versnel word deur die instelling van wetgewing
rakende geslagsgelykheid. Die nuwe wetgewing impliseer dat die nietradisionele
werkgeleenthede vir vroue in alle arbeidsektore, en veral in die
onderwyssektor, toegeneem het, veral gesien in die lig van die feit dat vroue
62,6% van die personeelkorps in onderwys uitmaak. Alhoewel die genoemde
veranderinge positiewe resultate tot gevolg kan hê, kan veranderinge in die
werkplek tot stres lei, aangesien 'n persoon se beroep een van sy/haar grootste
bronne van stres is.
Die genoemde veranderinge impliseer dat meer vroue bestuursposisies in die
onderwys sal beklee, en dat meer vroue dus onderwerp sal word aan
beroepstres, wat hul produktiwiteit en prestasie nagatief mag beïnvloed ..
Hierbenewens word vroue ook onderwerp aan druk wat veroorsaak word deur
geslagstereotipering wat die gevolg is van patriargale denke. Vroue wat na
gelykheid in onderwysbestuur soek, mag voortdurend gekonfronteer word met
stereotipiese sieninge wat hul stresvlakke kan verhoog en daartoe kan lei dat
hul bestuursdoeltreffendheid nadelig beïnvloed word.
Daar bestaan 'n ernstige tekort aan diepgaande navorsing oor die uitwerking
van stres op vroulike bestuurders, veralop die terrein van onderwys, en
daarom is hierdie studie daarop gemik om die bestaande kennis oor die impak
van gestagsverwante stres op vroulike bestuurders in onderwys uit te bou, en
m riglyne voor te stel vir die hantering van die potensiële nagatiewe impak
daarvan.
Ten einde dit te bereik, is die studie met 'n literatuurstudie oor die oorsprong
van geslagsrolle en stereotipes, en die uitwerking van stres, en veral stres as
gevolg van geslagstereotipering, op die prestasie en welsyn van vroulike
onderwysbestuurders, asook hul hantering daarvan, afgeskop. Dit is bevind
dat sosialiseringsprosesse, en veral uitgediende sosiale/kulturele tradisies
aanleiding gee tot stereotipiese oortuiginge in die samelewing, en dat hierdie
oortuiginge ingeskerp. word in opvoedingspatrone en verder in die skool
bevestig word. Die literatuurstudie het aan die lig gebring dat stres vererger
word deur geslagstereotipering. Ten einde die negatiewe uitwerking van stres
te kan hanteer, het die instelling sowel as die individu 'n verantwoordelikheid
om 'n stresverminderingsprogram daar te stel. Sodanige program moet aandag
skenk aan aspekte soos opleiding in bestuursvaardighede en om selfdunk te
verbeter ten einde persone in staat te stelom in te pas by nie-tradisionele
beroepe en om die stereotipering van vroue en manlike chauvinisme te
hanteer.
Aangesien die stresvlakke van vroulike bestuurders, hul houdings ten opsigte
van gelyke beregtiging en hul ervarings as gevolg van geslagstereotipering die
kern van hierdie studie gevorm het, is empiriese ondersoeke, wat uit
kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe ondersoeke bestaan het, onderneem. Ses
vroulike onderwysbestuurders uit verskillende kultuurgroepe en vanuit
verskillende bestuursvlakke is geselekteer om aan die studie deel te neem. Die
Beroepstresopname is gebruik om die stresvlakke van die deelnemers te bepaal,
en die Geslagsrolgelykheidsvraelys is aangewend om hul gedragspatrone te
moniteer en te begryp. Daarna is indiepte- ongestruktureerde onderhoude met
hulle gevoer met die oog daarop om die vooroordele en kwellinge wat hulle
beleef as gevolg van die stereotipering van vroue in die onderwyssektor, te
bepaal. Die deelnemers het getuig van ernstige gevalle van gebrek aan respek,
direkte geslagsdiskriminasie, vrouehaat (misoginie), patriargie, seksuele en
emosionele teistering en vele ander. Hulle het ook aan die lig gebring hoe
hierdie praktyke hul doeltreffendheid as bestuurders, hul fisiese toestand en
algemene welsyn benadeel.
Ten einde hul stres te hanteer, het die deelnemers aan die ondersoek onder
andere gebruik gemaak van medikasie, alkohol, en, tot 'n mate, van oefening,
maar die meerderheid het getuig dat hulle dit moeilik vind om die stres te
hanteer, aangesien hulle nie tyd het om te ontspan nie.
Na die samevatting van die bevindinge van die studie word aangedui hoe
vroulike onderwysbestuurders deur stereotipering beïnvloed word en welke
impak dit op hul stresvlakke en werkprestasie het. 'n Stresbestuursmodel word
voorgestel met die oog op die bemagtiging van vroulike onderwysbestuurders
ten einde die toenemende las van stres te probeer teëwerk en daardeur 'n
doeltreffende en gesonde onderwysarbeidsmag te kweek.