Changing scripts: Gender, family farm succession and increasing farm values in Australia

Abstract

In this paper we explore contemporary farm succession processes in Australia, with a particular focus on understanding how changing gender norms and increasing asset values may be impacting common patterns of farm ownership. We describe how social scripts inflect traditional patterns of farm succession and review what makes up a ‘family farm’, the changing economic environment in which family farms operate and take a deeper look at the traditional gender norms inflecting intergenerational farm succession. How the changing social and environmental norms may be transforming contemporary farm succession is the question driving this research. We interviewed 22 farm succession advisers and applied template analysis to address our research question. Through our analysis, we make the following contributions. We show there has been some disruption to the gender norms informing patrilineal succession practices. The interplay of increasing asset values and attending to the financial security of all members of the family has compounded this disruption, with both forces challenging the traditional gender scripts, resulting in the current scripts being more of a palimpsest. Theoretically, we contribute to understanding how scripts are challenged and co-exist.