The Intersection between Gender, the Family, and Self-Employment : The Family as Resource

Many studies consider the importance of genderin relation to social processes and to entrepreneurship, yet few have addressedwhether women entrepreneurs can find a resource for gaining economic advantagesin their family and ethnicity. The relationship between self-employment and gender is examined, focusing onfemale-led businesses, and assessing the role of family as a site of supportfor self-employed women. There are two parts to this discussion: one discussesaspects of ethnicity, gender, and family, with particular reference toself-employment; and the other uses empirical data to contextualize thetheoretical issues raised. Biographical interviews with male and female entrepreneurs in the UnitedKingdom are used, focusing particularly on two southeast London boroughs.Examining the case studies of women entrepreneurs allows for the evaluation ofthe extent to which family labor and support determine the trajectory ofself-employed women. The interview questions targeted two major aspects: (1)support from family and networks (where family of origin is an important sourceof support for both women and men); and (2) motivations and outcomes relatingto self-employment (enterprise characteristics and difficulties, flexibility,the role of life crises, such as ill health, dependence, unemployment, as wellas issues of empowerment). One of the key findings of the study is the differing role of the family formen and women in the self-employment process. The tensions in the personalrelations between women and their husbands in setting up a business areconsidered issues of power and control that inform their personal dynamics.Whereas men are mainly motivated by financial gain, women's motivations includepersonal and symbolic factors related to their life project (often linked towomen’s desire for independence). Similarly, while ethnicity and family areimportant resources for self-employed men, they are not for women, regardlessof their ethnic difference.(CBS)