‘I'm Not Just a Housewife’: Gendered Roles and Identities in the Home‐Based Hospitality Enterprise

Abstract

This article explores an under‐researched form of commercial hospitality provision by analysing the gender dynamics in the distinctive occupational setting of the home. The primary contribution is to extend understanding of traditionally female occupations by adding to accounts in the literature on gendered identities and occupational roles in small and micro enterprises. It is based on in‐depth interview findings from 33 home‐based commercial hospitality proprietors in Scotland. These enterprises perform the twin functions of private home and providing revenue‐generating, short‐term accommodation. The findings reveal three broad categories of proprietor; the female sole proprietor, proprietor couples and the male sole proprietor, all of whom reinforce traditional gender‐based roles and stereotypes. As an extension of domestic labour, commercial ‘home hosting’ is inherently gendered. It is argued that this is very pronounced in home‐based commercial hospitality where home and business spheres overlap.

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