La contribution de l’identité professionnelle à la problématique des agressions fondées sur le sexe et sur le genre dans les métiers spécialisés : une étude dans les secteurs de la construction et manufacturier au Québec

This PhD thesis explores how professional identity impacts sex and gender-related aggressions in the skilled trades, focusing on the construction and manufacturing sectors in Quebec. It also aims to provide insights on how these aggressive responses play a mediating role in shaping the professional identities of these workers. The exposure of women to exclusion and aggressions in the professional world are a huge concern, particularly in male dominated occupations. However, it is possible that these aggressive responses are not merely directed towards to the biological sex of the victims, but also directed towards female gender-based characteristics, especially those such as kindness, tenderness, empathy, and affection. The development of a theoretical model on sex and gender-based aggressions is thereby necessary. Rather than focussing on the factors that affect women’s experiences with aggressions, this thesis contributes to explaining how gender-related factors affect aggressions towards all workers, regardless of their male and female sexual characteristics. One limitation of the current research is its neglect of professional identity, even if this concept is essential to explaining why harmful behaviours are pursued to maintain ideals shared by dominant social groups (Tajfel & Turner, 1986). Professional identity reflects a form of social recognition at work, built on prestige related to employment status and professional responsibilities (Ashforth & Mael, 1989). Professional identities are developed through the shared histories of diverse cultural groups in the skilled trades. They are formed through institutions and values associated with certain sectors of activity. This also affects the identity-related strategies that workers in trades apply in the workplace (negotiation, fusion, affinities and retreat). Sainsaulieu’s classification of occupational identities (2014) based on the conditioning of social relationships at work, helps one to identify the identity-related strategies of workers. Empirically, this thesis examines the impact of professional identity on sex and gender-based aggressions in skilled trades. The first hypothesis associated with the model explores whether workplace aggressions in skilled trades occupations are positively related to high levels of collective self-esteem, to the trade being stereotypically male, to high degrees of collectivism within the trade, to hierarchical distance to power, and to a low level of integration of differences within the work team. Drawing from these elements, the undermining of professional identity, including perceived threats, intrapersonal justice, as well as the way working conditions are organized, could also cause workplace aggressions in skilled trades. The second hypothesis suggests that the aggressive responses mediate the relationship between professional identity and workplace aggressions in skilled trades. By using mixed methods with primary data gathering, and through the triangulation of data, it is possible to explain how each of these factors effects professional identity. Some focus groups and interviews with 15 women, and a questionnaire administered to 282 workers working on seven construction sites and four manufacturers, facilitate the interpretation of results of sex-based aggressions. The results of multi-level regression models, addressing variations across 54 participating teams in the study, rejected that aggressive responses had a mediating affect on workplace aggressions. However, they suggest that they may have direct effects on interpersonal deviance with respect to psychological aggressions. The quantitative analyses also showed that some aspects of professional identity made individuals more disposed to workplace aggressions. These include a low integration of the differences within the team, as well as an insufficient social support at work. A higher skills utilization and a low concern for the group are also associated with sexual aggressions in skilled trades. In addition, low public skilled trades self-esteem is associated with physical aggressions, while work demands and job insecurity are associated with psychological aggressions. Furthermore, qualitative data enrich the interpretation of the results by highlighting the central role of masculinity, especially the valorisation of physical strength and assertiveness at work, which could explain sex and gender-based aggressions. Finally, multilevel models associated being a woman with physical and sexual aggressions, as well as the worker’s masculinity, are associated with the adoption of aggressive responses. This thesis concludes on the importance of taking preventive actions on identity dimensions to reduce workplace aggressions, mainly a better inclusion of all the workers and an open mind about innovation and new ideas. At the level of skilled trades culture, one issue is to incorporate feminine values based on the collaboration, empathy and the social support during moments of vulnerability.

Keyphrases: Sex and gender-based aggression, Professional identity, Construction industry, Manufacturing sector, Skilled trades culture, Multilevel models, Mixed method