Mobbing with a gender perspective: How women perceive, experience and are affected from it?

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2011

Öğrenci: ELİF TOPKAYA SEVİNÇ

Danışman: FATMA YILDIZ ECEVİT

Özet:

This study was carried out with the objective of exploring mobbing with a gender perspective. Studies done so far on mobbing have employed a gender-neutral approach to the phenomenon, suggesting that there was no relationship between gender and mobbing. However, recent feminist studies suggest that, feminist theory,masculinity theory and gendered organizations theory explain how mobbing is in relation with gender. This study analyzed how women perceive, experience and are affected from mobbing in light of explanations offered by these theories. In this context, in-depth interviews were carried out with nine women employees from private sector and eleven women employees from public sector, in total 20 women employees. As a result of this study, depending on the reasons of victimization, types of mobbing is divided in to three categories. They are “political mobbing”,“individual mobbing” and “organizational mobbing”. The mobbing behaviors that these 20 women were exposed to were also identified. According to the findings of the study women move away from the workplace or exit from work life through transfer, retirement or resignation as a result of mobbing they have lived. Findings of the study show that mobbing has serious effects on psychical and psychological health of the individuals. Although gender was not found to be major factor for being chosen as a target, it intensifies the negative consequences for women through the mobbing process and afterwards, in work life and private life social relations. As a result of this study, it is observed that gender significantly influences women’s mobbing experiences.