Discourses of Participation in Work among Men and Women in Vocational Rehabilitation

Men are more likely to return to work after completing vocational rehabilitation than women. However, these gender differences remain difficult to explain. This qualitative study explored discourses of participation in work among six women and four men experiencing prolonged musculoskeletal pain and undergoing vocational rehabilitation. Discourse-analysis was applied to data generated from in-depth interviews, resulting in the identification of five discourses influencing participation in work: family, social, medical, personality and workplace issues. The family and social discourses were most pronounced among women, whereas the medical and personality discourses were more pronounced among men. Men and women emphasised the workplace discourse equally. Gender-based contradictions were found in all discourses, which might create different scopes of occupational engagement for men and women living with chronic pain. These findings contribute to the understanding of how gendered discourses may influence the process of vocational rehabilitation.