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Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Meyer, Tamlynne
Other Authors: Fakier, Khayaat
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2021
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access_status_str Open Access
author Meyer, Tamlynne
author2 Fakier, Khayaat
author_browse Fakier, Khayaat
Meyer, Tamlynne
author_facet Fakier, Khayaat
Meyer, Tamlynne
author_sort Meyer, Tamlynne
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123963
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:44:06.995Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123963 Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa Meyer, Tamlynne Fakier, Khayaat Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. Women lawyers -- South Africa Professions -- Social aspects -- South Africa Diversity in the workplace -- South Africa Feminism and racism -- South Africa Corporate culture -- South Africa Discrimination in employment -- Women lawyers -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research contributes to an understanding of the ways in which women attorneys experience social closure in the South African legal profession. The relevance for further research and debate is illustrated through the observed discrepancy between women’s representation during legal education and training, and their representation in the profession itself, especially at the partnership level. This study interrogates and uncovers how and why women continue to be marginalised, despite the removal of formal barriers and the enactment of legislation and policies to spearhead transformation, both in the country and profession. Through this, the thesis situates South Africa within the broader global debates on the sociology of professions which lacks a Southern African perspective. The investigation is approached from a mixed-method research design and a comprehensive and complex sociological framing, underpinned by feminist, Bourdieusan and organisational culture theoretical constructs. This provides a novel, but also an appropriate approach to the study, given the literature trends and the particular social, cultural and historical context of South Africa. The thesis presents the informal, invisible and hidden ways that produce and reproduce social closure in a specific context. These are often presented in nuanced, complex, contradictory, and ambiguous ways, which intersect with gender, race and class positions. The key elements I use to analyse social closure include intersectionality, voice, field (space), habitus, culture, and capital. I argue that all of these converge and are central to women’s experiences and material realities. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing dra by tot begrip van die maniere waarop vroueprokureurs sosiale sluiting in die Suid-Afrikaanse regsberoep ervaar. Die spesifieke relevansie vir verdere navorsing en debat word geïllustreer deur die verskil wat waargeneem is tussen mans en vroueverteenwoordiging tydens regsopvoeding en opleiding, en hul verteenwoordiging in die beroep self, veral op vennootskapsvlak. Hierdie studie ondervra en ontbloot die hoe en waarom vroue steeds gemarginaliseer word ten spyte van die verwydering van formele hindernisse en die daarstelling van wetgewing en beleide om transformasie in beide die land en beroep te bewerkstellig. Hierdeur poog die ondersoek om Suid-Afrika binne die breër wêreldwye debatte oor die sosiologie van beroepe wat 'n Suid-Afrikaanse perspektief ontbreek te stel. Die tesis word benader uit 'n gemengdemetode-navorsingsontwerp en 'n omvattende en komplekse sosiologiese raamwerk wat deur feministiese, Bourdieusan en organisatoriese kultuurteoretiese konstrukte ondersteun word. Dit bied 'n nuwe, maar ook 'n toepaslike benadering tot die studie, gegewe die literatuurtendense en die spesifieke sosiale, kulturele en historiese konteks van Suid-Afrika. In hierdie verhandeling bied ek die informele, onsigbare en verskuilde maniere aan wat sosiale sluiting veroorsaak en versterk. Hierdie situasies manifesteer dikwels in genuanseerde, komplekse, teenstrydige en dubbelsinnige maniere wat strek oor geslag, ras en klasposisies. Die belangrikste elemente wat ek gebruik om sosiale sluiting te analiseer, sluit in interseksionaliteit, stem, veld (ruimte), habitus, kultuur en kapitaal. My argument is dat al hierdie elemente saamsmelt en sentraal is tot vroue se ervarings en materiële realiteite. Doctoral 2021-12-03T10:21:59Z 2021-12-22T14:31:47Z 2021-12-03T10:21:59Z 2021-12-22T14:31:47Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123963 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 283 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Women lawyers -- South Africa
Professions -- Social aspects -- South Africa
Diversity in the workplace -- South Africa
Feminism and racism -- South Africa
Corporate culture -- South Africa
Discrimination in employment -- Women lawyers -- South Africa
UCTD
Meyer, Tamlynne
Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa
title Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa
title_full Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa
title_fullStr Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa
title_short Reaching for partnership: An intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in South Africa
title_sort reaching for partnership an intersectional study of occupational closure among women attorneys in south africa
topic Women lawyers -- South Africa
Professions -- Social aspects -- South Africa
Diversity in the workplace -- South Africa
Feminism and racism -- South Africa
Corporate culture -- South Africa
Discrimination in employment -- Women lawyers -- South Africa
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123963
work_keys_str_mv AT meyertamlynne reachingforpartnershipanintersectionalstudyofoccupationalclosureamongwomenattorneysinsouthafrica