Amodern and modern warfare in the making of a commercial airline

被引:19
|
作者
Deal, Nicholous M. [1 ]
Mills, Albert J. [1 ]
Mills, Jean Helms [1 ]
机构
[1] St Marys Univ, Sobey Sch Business, 923 Robie St, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada
关键词
Airlines; feminism; historiography; imperialism; organizational history; qualitative data; United Kingdom; warfare; archival data; World War I; ACTOR-NETWORK THEORY; BRITISH AIRWAYS; MICROHISTORY; HISTORY; GENDER; ORGANIZATIONS; ANTIHISTORY; STRATEGY; TIME;
D O I
10.1080/17449359.2018.1547647
中图分类号
K [历史、地理];
学科分类号
06 ;
摘要
This paper focuses on the impact of warfare, gender, and memory on the development of Imperial Airways (British Airways' predecessor airline). Through a 'close reading' of archival materials and published histories, we examine how wartime experience prior, during, and following World War I came to shape the development of gendered organizational processes and practices in the airline's emergent organizational culture from 1924-1939. Gender is theorized from a feminist poststructuralist position serving to problematize singular notions of power. Analysis of culture is explored through an ANTi-History and microhistorical approach revealing how history is produced and constitutes the 'sense' of organization. We examine how references to warfare are introduced into the narratives of Imperial Airways and its predecessor airlines, how warfare is utilized in the airline's historical accounts, and how this influences our understanding of gender over time. Findings suggest two key aspects of memory at play. Memory of warfare is more embedded in cultural practices (e.g. piloting as male only) and symbolism (e.g. military-style pilots' uniforms) than in extant narratives of the time. However, despite the Women's Royal Air Force in 1918 and exploits of pre-war female flyers, women's role in warfare was largely forgotten at all levels of the airline.
引用
收藏
页码:373 / 396
页数:24
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