Vardagens osynliga makt : En nivåintegrerad analys av subtila härskartekniker och kvinnors hanteringsstrategier i mansdominerade tjänstemannayrken inom säkerhetssektorn

This thesis aims to examine how subtle domination techniques manifest in male-dominated white-collar occupations within the security sector in Sweden, how these techniques become contributing factors in maintaining gendered and structural patterns, and how women manage these subtle expressions of power in their everyday working lives. The thesis is conducted using a qualitative research approach based on six semi-structured interviews with women within the aforementioned context. The analysis is based on a level-integrated approach in which micro-, meso-, and macro-levels are interconnected, inspired by Layder’s (1994) research map. The theoretical framework combines Ås’ (1978) theory of domination techniques, Acker’s (1990) theory of gendered organizations, Tilly’s (1978) theory of durable inequality, and Hirschman’s (1970) concepts of exit, voice, and loyalty. The results highlight that subtle domination techniques primarily take the form of everyday normalized interactions such as ridicule, withholding of information, and invisibilization, which over time limit women’s scope for action and legitimacy. Women’s coping strategies are characterized by adaptation and silence, shaped by organizational norms and structural conditions, where everyday interactions intersect with gendered organizational practices and broader mechanisms of inequality.