The Keel of the Iceberg - Female innovation: An invisible driver for resilient rural development: A case study in the Westfjords
Author
Frenkel, Marie-Roxanne
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2021
Abstract
Rural communities in Iceland depend on natural resources for jobs and growth. Because this work is often physically demanding, sectors seen as masculine have become dominant. This study shifts the lens to a feminist perspective and asks how women participate in innovation in these resource-dependent places. It focuses on the Westfjords and examines the experiences of eight female innovators from different communities. Using qualitative interviews and the iceberg model of diverse economies (Gibson-Graham, 2006)—a framework that draws attention to both visible and less visible economic activities—the study questions common ideas about what makes a region innovative. It explores how tools used to boost regional innovativeness can better include women and address the challenges they face. The findings show that women in the Westfjords still juggle multiple roles shaped by traditional gender expectations. They contribute to alternative yet valuable parts of the local economy and see the positive changes they help create. However, in broader narratives and decisions about regional economic development, their contributions are often overlooked or undervalued. Bringing women’s perspectives to the center can lead to a more complete understanding of the region’s economy and more inclusive innovation efforts.
Landdistrikter i Island er afhængige af naturressourcer for job og vækst. Fordi arbejdet ofte er fysisk krævende, er brancher med en maskulin konnotation blevet dominerende. Dette studie skifter perspektiv til en feministisk vinkel og undersøger, hvordan kvinder deltager i innovation i disse ressourceafhængige lokalsamfund. Fokus er på Vestfjordene og bygger på kvalitative interviews med otte kvindelige innovatører fra forskellige lokalsamfund. Med udgangspunkt i isbjergmodellen for mangfoldige økonomier (Gibson-Graham, 2006)—en ramme, der synliggør både de tydelige og de mindre synlige økonomiske aktiviteter—udfordrer studiet gængse forestillinger om, hvad der gør en region innovativ. Det undersøger, hvordan værktøjer til at styrke regional innovationskraft kan inkludere kvinder bedre og adressere de udfordringer, de møder. Resultaterne viser, at kvinder i Vestfjordene stadig balancerer flere roller, som er præget af traditionelle kønsforventninger. De bidrager til alternative, men værdifulde dele af den lokale økonomi og ser de positive forandringer, de skaber. Alligevel bliver deres indsats ofte overset eller nedvurderet i de brede fortællinger og beslutninger om regional økonomisk udvikling. At bringe kvinders perspektiver frem kan give en mere fuldstændig forståelse af regionens økonomi og mere inkluderende innovationsindsatser.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]