Gendered Variations in the experience of Ageing at Work in Switzerland

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the gendered processes of ageing at work in Switzerland, a country already characterised by particularly high employment rates for seniors of both sexes, and where the notion of “active ageing” has recently appeared on the policy agenda. The study illustrates the mechanisms through which men and women accumulate dis-/advantage across the life course, and the influence that critical events in different life domains have on the conditions under which they prepare the transition to retirement.Design/methodology/approach– The data used in the paper were collected with a mixed methods approach, including secondary statistical data analysis, expert interviews (with human resource and line managers), company case studies and 63-biographical interviews with male and female seniors employed in three different sectors (food distribution, health, transport) of the Swiss labour market. The interview guide covered issues relating directly to the employment histories and working conditions of the over 50s, but also enabled respondents to reflect on the influence of past or recent events in their private lives on their experiences of ageing at work (and vice versa).Findings– The study shows that, in the Swiss context, ageing at work is a social experience, that is profoundly marked by societal-level normative “gender scripts” and by the gendered nature of major life-course transitions. However, rather than producing a clear distinction between the experiences of men on the one hand and women on the other, studying the accumulation of dis-/advantages (Dannefer, 2009) enables us to elaborate a more nuanced typology, mapping the Swiss experience of ageing at work according to four alternative ideal-type models: confident, resentful, determined and distressed.Social implications– In a context characterised by prolonged life expectancy and restricted welfare budgets, a clearer understanding of the conditions under which men and women make decisions about the continuation, interruption or adaptation of their professional activities (and care commitments) in the second half of their adult lives has clear implications, both for patterns of “active ageing” and for gender equality.Originality/value– The paper sheds new light on the gendered variations in the experience of ageing at work in the Swiss context; it examines the implications of the dis-/advantages accumulated by different categories of men and women during various transitions in the employment and family spheres on their autonomy, well-being and satisfaction during this critical period of their adult lives.</jats:sec

Carola Togni, Le Genre du chômage. Assurance chômage et division sexuée du travail en Suisse (1924-1982)

Couvrant soixante ans d’histoire, depuis l’adoption de la première loi fédérale en matière d’assurance chômage en 1924, jusqu’à la mise en œuvre de la Loi fédérale sur l’assurance chômage obligatoire et l’indemnité en cas d’insolvabilité (LACI) en 1982, l’ouvrage de Carola Togni donne à voir la genèse de l’assurance chômage sous un jour inédit, soit comme un outil de gestion sexuée du chômage et de l’emploi. Cette analyse socio-historique constitue une contribution importante à l’histoire de ..

Les résistances au travail en perspective

This paper analyzes the aging effects on work resistance among female and workers in two professional groups : cashiers and train engineers. Based on field work data, it aims more at defining forms of resistance to question their plurality and explore the gendered stakes and different ressources they underpin.Cet article interroge les effets du vieillissement sur les résistances au travail des salarié.e.s de deux groupes professionnels: caissières et mécaniciens sur locomotive. Basé sur une recherche empirique, le propos vise moins à circonscrire les formes de résistance, que questionner leur pluralité et explorer les enjeux sexués et les ressources différenciées qui les sous-tendent

Association between reported exposure to road traffic and respiratory symptoms in children: evidence of bias

Background Many studies showing effects of traffic-related air pollution on health rely on self-reported exposure, which may be inaccurate. We estimated the association between self-reported exposure to road traffic and respiratory symptoms in preschool children, and investigated whether the effect could have been caused by reporting bias. Methods In a random sample of 8700 preschool children in Leicestershire, UK, exposure to road traffic and respiratory symptoms were assessed by a postal questionnaire (response rate 80%). The association between traffic exposure and respiratory outcomes was assessed using unconditional logistic regression and conditional regression models (matching by postcode). Results Prevalence odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for self-reported road traffic exposure, comparing the categories ‘moderate' and ‘dense', respectively, with ‘little or no' were for current wheezing: 1.26 (1.13-1.42) and 1.30 (1.09-1.55); chronic rhinitis: 1.18 (1.05-1.31) and 1.31 (1.11-1.56); night cough: 1.17 (1.04-1.32) and 1.36 (1.14-1.62); and bronchodilator use: 1.20 (1.04-1.38) and 1.18 (0.95-1.46). Matched analysis only comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic children living at the same postcode (thus exposed to similar road traffic) showed similar ORs, suggesting that parents of children with respiratory symptoms reported more road traffic than parents of asymptomatic children. Conclusions Our study suggests that reporting bias could explain some or even all the association between reported exposure to road traffic and disease. Over-reporting of exposure by only 10% of parents of symptomatic children would be sufficient to produce the effect sizes shown in this study. Future research should be based only on objective measurements of traffic exposur

Childhood leukaemia and socioeconomic status: what is the evidence?

The objectives of this systematic review are to summarise the current literature on socioeconomic status (SES) and the risk of childhood leukaemia, to highlight methodological problems and formulate recommendations for future research. Starting from the systematic review of Poole et al. (Socioeconomic status and childhood leukaemia: a review. Int. J. Epidemiol. 2006;35(2):370-384.), an electronic literature search was performed covering August 2002-April 2008. It showed that (1) the results are heterogeneous, with no clear evidence to support a relation between SES and childhood leukaemia; (2) a number of factors, most importantly selection bias, might explain inconsistencies between studies; (3) there is some support for an association between SES at birth (rather than later in childhood) and childhood leukaemia and (4) if there are any associations, these are weak, limited to the most extreme SES groups (the 10-20% most or least deprived). This makes it unlikely that they would act as strong confounders in research addressing associations between other exposures and childhood leukaemia. Future research should minimise case and control selection bias, distinguish between different SES measures and leukaemia subtypes and consider timing of exposures and cancer outcome

L’insertion des diplômé-e-s HES dans des métiers genrés

Une recherche détaille l’impact du genre sur les trajectoires d’insertion professionnelle dans quatre domaines d’activité: santé, travail social, ingénierie et architecture. Les différences selon le sexe et les domaines sont variées et marquées