Public defence in Entrepreneurship, M.Sc (Econ.) Carmelita Ginting-Carlström

Title of thesis: Beyond the Western Archetype: Intersectionality and Power in Women’s Entrepreneurship in a Poverty Context 

Doctoral student: Carmelita Ginting-Carlström

Opponent: Professor Helle Neergaard, Aarhus University

Custos (Chairperson): Associate Professor Myrto Chliova, Aalto University School of Business

Beyond the Western Archetype: Intersectionality and Power in Women’s Entrepreneurship in a Poverty Context

The Western archetype of women’s entrepreneurship, grounded in neoliberal values, pervades the literature on women’s entrepreneurship in poverty contexts. This dissertation critically examines the prior literature and highlights the limitations of a Western archetype as the standard for women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment in poverty contexts. While this perspective portrays women as self-reliant entrepreneurs overcoming challenges through personal agency, it overlooks the diverse and complex realities faced by women in non-Western, poverty contexts. 

The dissertation centers on a rural community in Central Java, Indonesia, where women’s entrepreneurial activities are deeply influenced by their intersecting identities—gender, social class, ethnicity, and religion—and the local power structures. Drawing on the feminist theory of intersectionality, the dissertation explores how these intersecting identities shape women’s entrepreneurial experiences, revealing how they navigate a web of socio-cultural norms that often do not recognize their economic activities as legitimate. Incorporating poststructuralist feminist theory, the dissertation examines how power operates through language (discourse) in these contexts. It explores how women entrepreneurs negotiate their multiple identities and roles within existing power structures, skillfully leveraging discourses grounded in local culture and religious beliefs to justify and legitimize their entrepreneurial activities. 

The dissertation challenges the dominant Western archetype of women’s entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of understanding the specific socio-cultural contexts in which women operate. It reveals a unique form of empowerment that diverges from the Western archetype, involving the skillful utilization of discursive resources derived from their intersecting identities and fluid, subjective positions. Accordingly, the dissertation proffers theoretical contributions for a more nuanced understanding of women’s entrepreneurship in poverty contexts. It also provides methodological and critical reflections on conducting research in poverty contexts that pave the way towards a more inclusive type of theory development in women’s entrepreneurship research.

Keywords: Women's entrepreneurship, Poverty, Post-structuralist feminist theory, Intersectionality, Discourse

Thesis available for public display 10 days prior to the defence at: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/doc_public/eonly/riiputus/

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Doctoral theses in the School of Business: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/50

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