Into the Fire: Disaster and the Remaking of Gender

by Shelley Pacholok

Overview

In August 2003, one of the largest wildfires in Canadian history struck near Kelowna, British Columbia and the surrounding Okanagan Valley, causing  unprecedented  damage. As Shelley Pacholok observes in this innovative study, the turbulence and extreme conditions that followed in the wake of this disaster destabilized an important  area of social life – that of gender relations.

Into the Fire combines insights from gender studies and disaster studies to explore the extent to which notions of “masculinity” and “femininity” are challenged in the wake of crises. Pacholok focuses on how gender relations were simultaneously sustained and disrupted   among those who fought the fire,  drawing on media representations as well as interviews with firefighters . Into the Fire illuminates how disasters can serve as catalysts for new patterns of gender, even in highly masculine spaces.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442666856
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	11/01/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Shelley Pacholok is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and History at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan.

Table of Contents

Contents
Illustrations
Tables
Preface

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Chapter 2
GENDER, DISASTER, AND THE MOUNTAIN PARK FIRE: A METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL ROAD MAP

Chapter 3
‘FIREFIGHTING IS A MAN’S GAME’: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURES AND PRACTICES

Chapter 4
‘WE FELT LIKE WE LOST’: EXPLAINING FAILURE AND RESCUING MASCULINITY

Chapter 5
NAVIGATING HIERARCHY AND CONTESTING MASCULINITIES

Chapter 6
WORKING WITH THE OTHER: RESISTANCE, ACCOMMODATION, AND REPRODUCTION

Chapter 7
CONCLUSION

Appendix
DILEMMAS, TENSIONS, AND CONTRADICTIONS IN FEMINIST INSPIRED RESEARCH

What People are Saying About This

Elaine Enarson

“Into the Fire is a very serious advance in contemporary research and theory that will be welcomed in gender studies and disaster studies. Shelley Pacholok establishes an excellent tone that draws the reader in close from the outset, and she maintains it even in tricky theoretical waters as the complex narrative unfolds.”

Amy Kaler

“Into the Fire is a fascinating read and a major contribution to research. This excellent book provides strong arguments about differentiations in masculinity and the hierarchies assigned to different masculinities. It is also timely in picking up on discussions of doing, undoing, and redoing gender.”

Editorial Reviews

‘Pacholok’s analysis of how a high stakes natural disaster can spark uneven change in gender relations at work is novel, insightful, and thorough…. This book will be a valuable and engaging resource for scholars of gender, work, and the environment alike.’—Sarah Thébaud, American Journal of Sociology, vol 119:06:2014

“Into the Fire is a fascinating read and a major contribution to research. This excellent book provides strong arguments about differentiations in masculinity and the hierarchies assigned to different masculinities. It is also timely in picking up on discussions of doing, undoing, and redoing gender.”—Amy Kaler, Department of Sociology and School of Public Health, University of Alberta
“Into the Fire is a very serious advance in contemporary research and theory that will be welcomed in gender studies and disaster studies. Shelley Pacholok establishes an excellent tone that draws the reader in close from the outset, and she maintains it even in tricky theoretical waters as the complex narrative unfolds.”—Elaine Enarson, Founder, U.S. Gender and Disaster Resilience Alliance

From the Publisher

‘Pacholok’s analysis of how a high stakes natural disaster can spark uneven change in gender relations at work is novel, insightful, and thorough…. This book will be a valuable and engaging resource for scholars of gender, work, and the environment alike.’

American Journal of Sociology, vol 119:06:2014 - Sarah Thébaud