GENDER AND CONTEXT - DE-INSTITUTIONALIZAT ION AND GENDER DIFFERENTIATION

Due to the increasing inclusion of women a de-institutionalization of gender relations has taken place over the last few decades. While gend er differentiation has long been guaranteed institutionally, its repro duction now increasingly requires symbolical marking and ''doing gende r.'' This leads to a ''contextualization'' of gender differentiation, i. e. the reproduction of gender inequality becomes a more and more co mplex process depending on specific constellations. Using the example of a study of occupational sex segregation this paper analyses the con ditions for maintaining or weakening gender differences. It reports th ree qualitative case studies, based on (participant) observation and i n-depth interviews, in three occupational fields varying in the type a nd extent of the male-female ratio: computer technology, nursing, and insurance office personnel. The authors also briefly discuss the impli cations which the assumption of a ''contextual contingent'' conditions for gender differentiation may have on gender studies.