Women in extraordinary times: the impact of external jolts on professional women’s careers

Cohen, Laurie; Duberley, Joanne

Abstract

This article examines the impact of external jolts on professional women's careers. Although scholars have begun to address the role of context in career, little research has addressed the effects of unexpected and uncontrollable events. This is regrettable, particularly in the light of the current pandemic that appears to be impacting on us in hitherto unimaginable ways. We draw on the accounts of women professionals who appeared on the iconic BBC radio programme, Desert Island Discs. Our study culminates in two contributions: the first relates to the interplay of structure and agency in women's accounts of jolts and their response. The second argues that jolts trigger changes in the career imagination, and potentially in professional landscapes themselves.

Citation

Cohen, L., & Duberley, J. (2020). Women in extraordinary times: the impact of external jolts on professional women’s careers. Journal of Professions and Organization, 7(3), 247-264. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpo/joaa019

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 18, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Nov 7, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 7, 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 9, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 8, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Professions and Organization
• Print ISSN: 2051-8803
• Electronic ISSN: 2051-8811
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 247-264
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jpo/joaa019
• Keywords: external jolts; women professional; careers; structure and agency; career imagination
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4892964
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/jpo/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jpo/joaa019/5960237
• Additional Information: This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Professions and Organization following peer review. The version of record Cohen, L., & Duberley, J. (2020). Women in extraordinary times: The impact of external jolts on professional women's careers. Journal of Professions and Organization is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/jpo/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jpo/joaa019/5960237 and https://doi.org/10.1093/jpo/joaa019.