J'ai très mal au travail | Christophe Dejours (4/12)

Work, Gender, and Power

Christophe Dejours describes work as a central force shaping relationships between men and women—not only in the workplace, but also in family and private life. Work helps distribute roles, status, responsibilities, and power. It also connects paid production with reproductive and domestic labor, including childcare and maintaining the household.

A central issue is how the total workload is divided. Work demands and schedules can shape or constrain domestic arrangements. Dejours illustrates this with women engineers in nuclear operations: some give up highly qualified careers to accommodate their husbands’ work schedules. For example, one doctor leaves medical practice because its demands are incompatible with her husband’s changing hours.

Dejours argues that this cooperation is unequal. Men more often receive support from women at home that helps them sustain their careers. Women pursuing careers, by contrast, generally do not receive equivalent support from men. As a result, work becomes a major factor in women’s opportunities for fulfillment, autonomy, identity, and financial power.

Work’s dual role

• Work can reinforce male domination: Restricting women to domestic labor can limit their access to employment, public life, and social relationships.
• Work can enable emancipation: Paid work can help women gain independence from male power and build autonomy.

The effects depend on the circumstances: work may contribute to emancipation in some situations and subordination in others.

Speaker

• Christophe Dejours — the speaker throughout the excerpt.