MASCULINITIES AND FEMININITIES IN THE SKY: THE GENDER PROJECT(S) OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS’ CAREERS

Fraga, Aline Mendonça; Rocha-de-Oliveira, Sidinei

doi:10.1590/S0034-759020220309x

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ARTICLES • Rev. adm. empres. 62 (3) • 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-759020220309x copy

MASCULINITIES AND FEMININITIES IN THE SKY: THE GENDER PROJECT(S) OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS’ CAREERS

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

This article resumes the interactionist bases of career studies to analyze the construction of gender project(s) regarding masculinities and femininities in the careers of flight attendants. We used a qualitative-oriented research methodology divided into five main stages: documentary and bibliographical research; 16 months of general immersion with field observation and journaling; specific immersion with field observation (participating in a flight attendants’ training course); collection of 23 professionals’ biographies; and construction and analysis of thematic narratives. The information was analyzed based on the perspective of collective narratives in three relational moments: training, joining an airline, and work routine. The discussions point to the necessity of constructing career projects as gender projects and the potential for personal metamorphosis by emphasizing and embodying masculinities and femininities, as well as trajectories negotiations in the field of possibilities - temporal, dynamic, and contextual dimensions. The research findings broaden the debate on gendered careers and bring an original methodological and theoretical contribution to collective careers.

Keywords:
career; gender; masculinities; femininities; symbolic interactionism

Stages (32 months)	Activities
Bibliographic and documental research (From February 2017 to October 2019)	- Reading about the history of the flight attendant profession; - Analysis of legislation applied to aeronauts and requirements to work in Brazil and abroad; - Elaboration of the research’s theoretical framework.
Immersion in the field (general) (From May 2017 to September 2018)	- Contact aviation schools; - Approaching and becoming a member of groups on social media, webpages, and online channels about aviation and the aeronaut career; - Participation in a flight safety training course and lectures on the aeronaut career in Brazil and abroad at aviation schools; - Observation of social media accounts specialized in promoting the career and aimed at aspiring professionals; - Recording each experience in field diaries.
Immersion in the field (specific) (From August 2017 to March 2018)	- One of the researchers concluded the Theoretical and Practical Instruction Program (flight attendant training course); - Participation in a regular class, including survival (jungle) and water survival, first aid, fire fighting, and seamanship; - Registration in field diaries during and after theoretical and practical lessons.
Collection of biographies (From May/2017 to April 2019)	- Search for potential participants, through publications using a personal account on social media, in groups on social media, recommendations from aviation schools, and personal contacts; - Online or in-person collection of biographies, according to the availability of each participant; - Registration of the interactions after the interviews.
Narrative construction and thematic analysis (From June 2017 to October 2019)	- Transcription and prior analysis of individual biographies; - Theorization considering the theoretical framework. The activity emphasized how the stories were told (time), the productions and practices of masculinities and femininities as gender projects, the past-present-future dimensions of the career; - Identification of the main moments of individual negotiation within the field of possibilities; - Identification of the gender project as a local and collectively constructed career project; - Construction of the synthesis of the collective career and theoretical-empirical discussion.

Name	Education	Flight time (years)	Age (when started)	Age (Current)
Alex^* * hired by international companies. These professionals were not trained in Brazil.	Degree in pedagogy	20	42	63
Taylor^* * hired by international companies. These professionals were not trained in Brazil.	Degree in law	20	21	52
Francis	Acting school	20	21	44
Dominique	Degree in international relations	15	18	35
Mica	Degree and technical education in nursing	12	27	39
Tainã	Acting school	12	21	33
Angel	Degree in psychology	12	28	40
Muriel	Undergraduate student of pedagogy	11	19	31
Charlie^* * hired by international companies. These professionals were not trained in Brazil.	Unfinished degree in language (English)	9	23	32
Dylan	Degree in Aeronautical sciences; private and commercial pilot; unfinished degree in business administration	9	22	31
Billy	Unfinished degree in gastronomy	9	28	36
Chris	Unfinished degree in tourism	8	22	31
Kelly^* * hired by international companies. These professionals were not trained in Brazil.	Degree in public relations	8	25	33
Ariel	High school	8	22	30
Kim	Degree in physical education	7	25	33
Paris	Degree in fashion; private and commercial pilot	7	21	28
Sidney	High school	6	20	26
Alison	Studied gastronomy; student in a course to prepare technicians for events; unfinished degree in physiotherapy; unfinished degree in business management	5	31	36
Rene^ former flight attendants. At the moment of the interview, they had left the industry for more than five years	Degree and Post degree in Environmental Management; unfinished degree in chemistry	5	25	34
Gil^ former flight attendants. At the moment of the interview, they had left the industry for more than five years	Degree in law; unfinished degree in physiotherapy	5	24	33
Sam^ former flight attendants. At the moment of the interview, they had left the industry for more than five years	Unfinished degree in nursing; unfinished degree in cosmetics	5	29	38
Andrea	Undergraduate student of psychology; unfinished degrees in business administration, international relations, and hospitality	5	19	27
Sasha	Private and commercial pilot	2,5	21	23

Fundação Getulio Vargas, Escola de Administração de Empresas de S.Paulo Av 9 de Julho, 2029, 01313-902 S. Paulo - SP Brasil, Tel.: (55 11) 3799-7999, Fax: (55 11) 3799-7871 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: rae@fgv.br

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[1] AUTHOR'S CONTRIBUTIONS

Aline Mendonça Fraga worked on the conceptualization and theoretical-methodological approach. The theoretical review was conducted by Sidinei Rocha-de-Oliveira. Data collection was coordinated by Aline Mendonça Fraga. Data analysis was performed by Aline Mendonça Fraga and Sidinei Rocha-De-Oliveira. Aline Mendonça Fraga and Sidinei Rocha-De-Oliveira worked together in the article’s writing and final revision.