What the study found
The study found evidence that subversive, collective action at the interactional level can redo gender at the wider institutional level. In the community studied, several linked practices were associated with sustained structural and cultural changes, while also creating conditions for more gender-atypical behavior in everyday interactions.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that these findings show how gender egalitarianism can be enacted through community-wide practices. The study suggests that changing institutional rules and norms can make gender less important in the division of work.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used participant observation and interviews in a large community that is unique for enacting gender egalitarianism. They examined whether interdependent practices designed and carried out by members were linked to changes in how gender was organized in paid and unpaid labour.
What worked and what didn't
The practices described in the abstract included uniform working hours and earnings for all members, communal provision of domestic labour such as childcare, and a 50:50 gender quota for representative positions supported by a role rotation system. These practices were reported to have effectively created sustained structural and cultural changes, and the two processes of redoing gender were mutually reinforcing. The abstract does not describe any practices that did not work.
What to keep in mind
The available summary does not report detailed limitations. The findings are based on one large community, so the abstract does not say how far the results apply beyond that setting.
Key points
- Participant observation and interviews were used in a large community with gender egalitarian practices.
- Uniform working hours and earnings were part of the community’s arrangements.
- Childcare and other domestic labour were provided communally rather than privately.
- Representative positions used a 50:50 gender quota and a role rotation system.
- The abstract says institutional and interactional changes reinforced each other over time.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Community practices reduced gender’s role in dividing paid and unpaid work
- Authors:
- Reece Garcia, Carol Atkinson
- Institutions:
- Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-29
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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