BUILD(H)ERS. COMPLEX GENDER RELATIONS AND WOMEN'S CAREER CHOICHES IN THE ITALIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

In general, constructions are one of the most male-dominated industries. While the international literature has recently started to pay attention to the experiences of its female workforce, Italian scholars still seem to underestimate not only the importance of this topic, but also the career choices made by women in male-intensive industries. Therefore, this thesis investigates the occupational trends, working conditions, and career choices of women working in the Italian building industry to understand the motivations, challenges, coping strategies, and narratives associated with gender relations on- and off-sites. The research was carried out relying on a qualitative approach informed by gender studies and intersectional theories, with the ambition of overcoming the limits of previous studies and making “masculinity” visible within the gender(ed) relational dynamics. Due to its exploratory nature, semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female workers, professionals, and entrepreneurs of the Italian construction industry; alongside, participant observation was carried out on sites and online (Instagram), embracing the quasi- or rapid- ethnographic method. Findings contributes to the literature by bringing under the spotlight the trends and experiences of women working in construction together with their strategies to counteract gender discrimination – thus filling a gap in the Italian literature and providing the foundation for future research. Moreover, the role of hegemonic masculinity within the gender(ed) relations taking place on- and off-site is made evident, together with its attempts at (in)directly excluding women’s and non-binary people from the industry, especially through the “romanticization” to which “feminine” niches of production (e.g., restoration) are exposed to “justify” women’s presence as sites workers.