Women’s entrepreneurship under occupation and patriarchy: The case of internally displaced people in Palestine

Omran, Wojdan 2023. Women’s entrepreneurship under occupation and patriarchy: The case of internally displaced people in Palestine. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Women face unique challenges in their quest to achieve business success relative to men. Applying the theories of epistemic injustice and intersectionality, this thesis collectively analyses the overlapping impacts of identity categories that complement gender at multiple levels in the context of the oppressive, interconnected power structures of occupation and patriarchy. By exploring the role of oppressive institutions in enactments of injustice, this thesis emerges with manifestations of epistemic injustice, among them, the often-unacknowledged but everyday occurrence of gaslighting in the context of women’s entrepreneurship. The findings explain how the impact of institutional oppressors, through structural and normative discrimination, may cause some Palestinian women entrepreneurs to internalise and accept injustice while others tap into available resources to engage in epistemic resistance. In line with postcolonial feminism, forty in-depth interviews with Palestinian women entrepreneurs centres the voices of a marginalised group of entrepreneurs. This thesis distinguishes gaslighting at the institutional level (i.e., tertiary gaslighting) that negatively affects its targets’ well-being, often leading to a sense of surreality. The analysis emerges with a ‘twisted path’ of gaslighting that reflects the findings and refers to Stern’s three-stage model of gaslighting. Afraid of being further gaslit and of reinforcing stereotypes, women entrepreneurs often suppress or rationalise what would be their preferred response to gaslighters, a choice that reinforces negative stereotypes and empowers gaslighters, thus creating a ‘gaslighting catch-22’. The findings have policy implications related to raising awareness and devising accountability measures at the institutional level. Because patriarchy and occupation are embedded in sociocultural norms in Palestinian society, policymakers must be conscious of hermeneutical injustice’s influence on their own perspectives, so they can avoid inadvertently exposing a gaslightee to subsequent gaslighting. Institutionalising justice is central to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for women entrepreneurs.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	o women's entrepreneurship o epistemic injustice o epistemic resistance o gaslighting o patriarchy o occupation o intersectionality o internally displaced people o postcolonial feminism o Palestine
Last Modified:	01 Sep 2023 13:10
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/162049

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