ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with the broad theoretical framework used for interpreting the research presented in this book on women’s trade union participation. The research is located within the field of industrial relations, a field with a strong empirical tradition, an emphasis on research useful for policymaking and characterised by under-theorisation (Marsden 1982; Hyman 1994; Kelly 1998). It would be erroneous to argue that theory has no place within policy-oriented research. Theoretical concepts can be regarded as ‘sensitizing devices’, which are useful for thinking about research problems and the interpretation of research findings (Giddens 1984: 326). This chapter outlines and discusses the ‘sensitizing devices’ underpinning the research presented in this book. The chapter is organized into three main sections. The first section considers industrial relations theory, the second section considers feminist theory and the third section outlines how industrial relations and feminist theories combined can be used to make sense of women’s lived experiences of work, union and family.
