A tool for distinguishing gender research from gender difference research – examples from work- related health Anne Hammarström Professor of Public Health Umeå University Sweden

Aim to identify possible problems and /or challenges with regard to the concepts of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in work-related research to propose a tool to implement the theoretical insights The tool will be used to distinguish gender research from gender or sex difference research

Interpretation of table Not a definite boundary between the two fields of research ‘Gender difference research’ could be divided into different subgroups Gender difference researchers develop into gender researchers Not any opposition between quantitative and qualitative methods

Some characteristics that differ gender research from research on sex/gender differences in medical research Epistemo- logy Dominating epistemology is questioned, alternative view of knowledge are developed Not questioned Process?Gender is seen as an on- going process (doing gender) Sex/gender is not seen as on-going processes AnalysesGender is the analytic category Sex/gender is used as one of several variables LevelGender is mainly analysed on a structural level Gender is analysed as an individual characteristic

Definition of sex/gender Both are defined and problemized Not problemiz- ed,used synony- mously. Gender for Animals and cells. ResultsNew epistemolo- gical knowledge Additive knowledge Power analyses CentralOften missing Theoretical development CentralOften missing The concept of gender role CriticizedOften used, not problemized Risk for essentialism Great awareness Great risk

Risk for exaggerating sex/gender differences Great awarenessGreat risk Differences within the group of men/women Often analysedSeldom analysed (except for age) MenMasculinity research is a growing, dynamic part of gender research. Men are often analysed as variables. Lack of masculinity research.

Conclusions Need for a tool as gender differences researchers claim preferential right of interpretation However, the questions in the tool need to be further developed in an active dialogue with gender researchers