Tackling organisational inequalities with pragmatism: designing an exploration of UK craft brewing and gender

This presentation introduces a doctoral study that examines the realisation and implementation of gender equality in alternative, craft-based organisations. It does so by utilising a pragmatist inquiry to investigate the ways gender inequalities are perceived, problematised and solved by women employed in the UK Craft Brewing Industry. This is an essential investigation as the number of women in the industry has recently increased yet they still face barriers related to their gender. The paper starts with setting the scene by approaching organisational gender equality from a feminist perspective, after which, feminism’s compatibility with pragmatism is clarified, and some well-justified examples are presented to demonstrate why the study significantly benefits from adopting tools from pragmatist philosophy. Finally, and most importantly, the methodological considerations and implementation plans are addressed.