‘Natural born carers’? Reconstituting gender identity in the labour of calf care

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68378076%3A_____%2F22%3A00574925" target="_blank" >RIV/68378076:_____/22:00574925 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016722002327" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016722002327</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.09.034" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.09.034</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

‘Natural born carers’? Reconstituting gender identity in the labour of calf care

Original language description

Environmental crises and agricultural policy reforms are key moments for the reorganisation of farming practices, which can contribute to the reconstitution of female farming roles and identities. In this paper, we consider the role of animal disease in providing an opportunity to reconstitute female farming identities, particularly emphasising female farm employees. Focusing on the careers and labour of calf rearers, the paper shows how calf rearing identities are structured and contested, and linked to cultures of care that are shaped by patriarchal farming relations. Drawing on 25 biographical interviews, the paper reveals four distinct narratives of calf rearing: natural born carers, rescue, taking back control, and from outsider to insider. Despite significant changes to the organisation of animal health and welfare for calves, these narratives reveal the marginal status of both calves and calf rearers. Calf rearers’ labour of care encompasses both affectual attachments to calves but also family and farm relationships, reflecting how careful rearing is configured by the material and cultural relations of farming. Whilst some calf rearers have been able to challenge these relationships and reconstitute calf rearing identities, the narratives suggest that calf rearers lack agency to change animal health practices. Awareness of these gendered dimensions to calf rearing and animal health is vital for policy makers seeking to improve the health of livestock.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

50404 - Anthropology, ethnology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Rural Studies

ISSN

0743-0167

e-ISSN

1873-1392

Volume of the periodical

95

Issue of the periodical within the volume

OCT

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

11

Pages from-to

362-372

UT code for WoS article

000891379700011

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85139057855