Sally Shortall, Kathryn Braiser, Lori McVay, Carolyn Sachs and Ann Tickamyer
A considerable amount of the sociological literature on farming has considered the peculiarities of the occupation of farming, and how social practices shape gender relations. A persistent social pattern across most of western society is that, in the main, men inherit farms. Men’s identity as farmers is tied to their land ownership, and their role identity as farmer comes from owning the means of production. They occupy the occupational position of ‘farmer’ and they are seen to do the productive agricultural work. Women’s identity on the farm was strongly tied to their marital status and much early research refers to ‘farmers’ wives’ – underlining women’s identity as spouse of the farmer. Research in Europe and the US has shown that women’s work identities have changed, with women increasingly working off the farm, and often having a more central role on the farm if their spouse works off the farm.
In this paper, we examine women who belong to farming organisations, specifically, farming organisations for women. We want to consider what belonging to a woman’s farming organisation or group means for these women’s collective identities. Does it give these women greater status as a farmer, or does the overt statement of their gender in the title of the organisation underline their marginal position? Why is it important for these women to belong to these organisations and why do they not belong to the non-gendered organisations? Using US and UK data, this paper explores cultural differences and similarities in farm women’s networks and what participation in a collective means for women’s farming identities.
Trans-Atlantic Rural Research Network (TARRN) 