Women in American Energy: De-feminizing Poverty in the Oil and Gas Industries

Authors

Lauren E. McKee

Abstract

Women have historically been excluded from work in the male-dominated American oil and gas industry due to unfavorable working conditions and industry hiring biases. However, due to recent developments in on-land drilling techniques and increased overall production, this gender discrimination is slowly beginning to change as more women are being hired for energy industry jobs. In the short term, this means a greater distribution of wealth in what can be a lucrative field. Greater access to employment with security and room for advancement could also mean a long-term structural change in industry hiring norms, granting women greater access to energy employment in the future.

Author Biography

Lauren E. McKee is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Her research focuses on issues of energy security, renewable energy and women’s labor. In the fall of 2014, she will join Berea College as the ASIANetwork/Luce Foundation Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Asian Politics.

Recommended Citation

McKee, Lauren E. (2014) "Women in American Energy: De-feminizing Poverty in the Oil and Gas Industries," Journal of International Women's Studies: Vol. 15: Iss. 1, Article 11.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol15/iss1/11