Stephanie A Sicard
Washington State University, Anthropology, Graduate Student
- Anthropology, Critical Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Performance Theory, Gender, Heath problem in truck driver, and 10 moreCultural Studies, Social Representations, Gender and Sexuality, Feminist Anthropology, Feminism, Labor unions, Globalization and Gender, Labor market regulation and workers’ rights, Empowerment and inequality, Social and welfare policy, Work and Labour, Truck driving, and Taxi Driveredit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Of the over 500,000 professional truck drivers within the United States, only six percent are women. Ten in-depth interviews focus on the safety issues that women truck drivers face over the road. Stereotypical masculine norms are... more
Of the over 500,000 professional truck drivers within the United States, only six percent are women. Ten in-depth interviews focus on the safety issues that women truck drivers face over the road. Stereotypical masculine norms are encouraged in male dominated fields, and it is when stereotypical masculinity is endorsed that sexual harassment and assault is much higher. I argue that women truck drivers are forced into a double-bind situation in which they attempt to make themselves visible as equals, while simultaneously hiding themselves for safety. I aim to not only broaden the understanding of the issues faced by professional women truck drivers, and explore the changing concept of what constitutes "women's work."
Research Interests:
This research explores how women negotiate their identities when working in the male dominated field of truck driving. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the over three million people who make their living as truck... more
This research explores how women negotiate their identities when working in the male dominated field of truck driving. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the over three million people who make their living as truck drivers, only six percent are
female. By combining data gathered using various ethnographic research methodologies, several aspects related to women working in the truck driving industry were interpreted from the theoretical perspectives of performance theory and optimal
diversification theory. A literature review revealed that
little academic research has been published on the field of truck driving, and even less is written about female truck
drivers. Central to the research in this paper is identification of the roles women occupy in the trucking industry, why they choose this particular career, as well as how they confront issues of gender stereotyping. Duality of identity is explored in instances where
a woman must balance her identity as both a female and a truck driver. Identity markers such as CB handles and decoration of trucks further indicate ways in which women
drivers assert and define their identities. Content analysis of 24 issues of The Trucker magazine compares how men and women are identified and represented in a publication geared toward truck drivers. Finally, interviews with female truck drivers
were conducted as a means of understanding why these women
entered this career, and how they negotiate their identities.
female. By combining data gathered using various ethnographic research methodologies, several aspects related to women working in the truck driving industry were interpreted from the theoretical perspectives of performance theory and optimal
diversification theory. A literature review revealed that
little academic research has been published on the field of truck driving, and even less is written about female truck
drivers. Central to the research in this paper is identification of the roles women occupy in the trucking industry, why they choose this particular career, as well as how they confront issues of gender stereotyping. Duality of identity is explored in instances where
a woman must balance her identity as both a female and a truck driver. Identity markers such as CB handles and decoration of trucks further indicate ways in which women
drivers assert and define their identities. Content analysis of 24 issues of The Trucker magazine compares how men and women are identified and represented in a publication geared toward truck drivers. Finally, interviews with female truck drivers
were conducted as a means of understanding why these women
entered this career, and how they negotiate their identities.