Women in the workforce in Colombia:Mujeres stereotypes, belief systems, psychosocial risks

Gender and aging are two fundamental variables around which human relationships are organized. While these are inherent characteristics of human beings and are determined biologically and by the developmental course of life, the notions and perceptions of them (gender and age) are social constructs (Boban and Sultana, 2014), and therefore vary according to the cultural and social context in which they take place (Centre d'Analyse Stratégique, 2010; Fung, 2013; Lenoir, 1989), affecting social, economic, social dynamics. Additionally, from a life-cycle perspective, the development of individuals takes place not only under the influence of the formal and informal social norms of each context, but also of other individuals present in their most immediate spheres of development (in this case work). Previous research, developed mainly in Europe and the United States, points to the importance of studying the cultural constructs of gender and age, the beliefs associated with them, as well as their effects on the relationships and well-being of people in working life. However, given the historical and cultural specificity of the notions of gender and age, as well as of the beliefs and relationship dynamics associated with them, the findings of these investigations are not immediately transferable to the Colombian context, and situated investigations are required, capable of considering the specificities of the cultural context in which they take place. Consequently, we have proposed to study (in a first approach to the problem) the associations between beliefs related to gender and age, the psychosocial risks associated with these two variables, and the well-being of people in a particular setting: work life, in the Colombian context.

Estereotipos del envejecimiento, visiones del envejecimiento, trabajo, prejuicio