Soldiers and secretaries: Gendered boundary work in the Swedish Armed Forces

SummaryWhat happens when intersecting relations of gender and occupation are challenged by organizational change? In the present article, I explore this question based on a case study in the Swedish Armed Forces; an organization that is currently in a state of substantial transformation. Instead of defending the nation's borders against armed attack, the purpose is now to participate in peacekeeping operations worldwide. When informants construct the “New Armed Forces”, they envision changed patterns of both gender and occupation. I show how gender and occupation intersect in informants’ use of metaphors and images, analyse constructions of gendered occupational boundaries and problematize their visions for the future. I also add new dimensions to existing research by gendering the theory of boundary work.