No pilot on board, just a woman : sexual harassment experiences of Canadian women pilots
Date
1994
Authors
Taylor, Roberta Ellen
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Abstract
This study focusses on the sexual harassment experiences of women pilots in Canada. Most of the sexual harassment research to date has focussed on the incidence and nature of harassing behaviours, rather than the personal lived experiences of the women who have been harassed. Studies to date on women who have been harassed in male-dominated occupations have focussed primarily on blue collar workers. There has been very little exploration of sexual harassment of women aircraft pilots.
Using feminist interview research methodology, I interviewed six women pilots in depth about their experiences in the workplace. The participants were women who have been employed in Canada in a variety of flying roles, including airline pilot, charter pilot, bush pilot, flight instructor, and military pilot.
The participants' stories were analyzed and the data organized into themes. This analysis was informed by feminist thinking. In particular, concepts related to occupational power, sex role deviancy and the organizational context of the aviation workplace were explored. The themes that emerged are interwoven, revealing that sexual harassment of women pilots involves a complicated and inter-related set of behaviours that extend beyond those discussed in the literature about female blue collar workers.
Findings show that the participants work within an environment that is hostile, in which they receive messages that they are invading an elite male domain and are unwanted. Portrayed as sex role deviates and token women pilots, they experienced a wide range of hurtful and demeaning harassing behaviours. They experienced an erosion of their sense of self, and became overburdened with the struggle for acceptance while having to simultaneously perform their flying duties. The aviation industry is hierarchal and emphasizes status. Pilots derive occupational power from society's perception of their role as prestigious, complex and mysterious. Women who assume this role are a threat to this occupational male power. This study reveals how the unique characteristics and organizational context of the aviation industry are conducive to harassing behaviours, thus complicating the issue of sexual harassment for women pilots. Implications for the industry and areas for further research are discussed.