Institutionnalisation du genre et résistances : le cas du « décret féminisation » dans l'enseignement supérieur en FWB

Details

Supervisors

Rosier, Laurence

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master de spécialisation en études de genre

Abstract

enThe aim of this thesis is to examine the limits of institutional gender in higher education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, from the creation of gender policies to their reception in the field. To do this, it proposes to observe the implementation of a particular measure in a given context. This research analyses the application of the "decree on the reinforcement of the feminisation of the names of professions, functions, grades or titles and on non-discriminatory good practice with regard to gender in the context of official or formal communications" of 14 October 2021, more commonly known as the 'feminisation decree'. This thesis uses a case study of an engineering school in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation to define the scope of this observation. The chosen field is analysed in terms of its interdependence with the various strata involved in public action, in which gender is institutionalised. This dissertation also draws on a corpus of parliamentary debates on inclusive communication. In particular, these inform us about the tension between politicisation and depoliticisation of inclusive language. Starting from the observation that language is political, this research aims to show that this tension is also at play at the level of institutional gender, which is both driven by feminist struggles, but which sometimes borders on gender washing. Lastly, the report proposes possible solutions for implementing the feminisation decree in a context where gender is on the rise and provoking resistance.