The Subordination of the Feminine? Developing a Critical Feminist Approach to the Psychoanalysis of Organizations

This paper investigates the intersections between psychoanalysis and feminist thinking as they may be applied to organization studies by problematizing sexual difference. By critically engaging with the influence of (primarily Lacanian) psychoanalysis, I explore feminist psychoanalytic approaches wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organization studies Vol. 33; no. 9; pp. 1237 - 1255
Main Author: Vachhani, Sheena J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.09.2012
Sage
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects:
Arbeitspsychologie
Ethical dilemmas
Ethics
Females
Femininity
Feminism
France
Frauenbewegung
Gender differences
Gender relations
Identification
Kritik
Labor
Lacan
Lacan, Jacques Marie Emile
Masculinity
Occupations
Opposite Sex Relations
Organisationsforschung
Organization theory
Organizational research
Organizations
Patriarchy
Psychoanalysis
Sex
Studies
Subject
Subordination
Symbolism
Usefulness
Women
Irigaray
identification
feminisms
subject
psychoanalysis
sexual difference
ISSN:0170-8406, 1741-3044
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This paper investigates the intersections between psychoanalysis and feminist thinking as they may be applied to organization studies by problematizing sexual difference. By critically engaging with the influence of (primarily Lacanian) psychoanalysis, I explore feminist psychoanalytic approaches with their close attention to patriarchy and phallocentrism. More specifically, I engage with the work of Luce Irigaray, whose influential role in French feminist philosophy has occupied what could be termed a difficult or sacrificial position in Lacanian psychoanalysis. I argue that the focus of psychoanalysis on the Phallus as a primary signifier may be fruitfully problematized through a feminist lens (Grosz, 1990), conceived here through Irigaray, and that its usefulness for organizational analysis depends on an ability to recognize, invite and attend to its gendered core. It is argued that Irigaray brings fruitful resources to this debate. Irigaray is concerned with the significant political and ethical dilemmas resulting from the systematic suppression of femininity and this is why her work is significant for a better understanding of gender relations in organizations relating to the exclusion of women, and for new spaces of symbolization and representation. My discussion reveals that, by scrutinizing sexual differences that constitute the subject, one is able to unearth implications for the study of organizations.
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ISSN:0170-8406
1741-3044
DOI:10.1177/0170840612448159