Structural homologies of gendered inequality across interdependent fields of startup and venture capital: A Bourdieusian approach

Entrepreneurship is often portrayed as meritocratic, yet it often reproduces existing societal inequalities. Prior research shows that gendered inequality persists in access to resources and opportunities, but offers less clarity on how this inequality is sustained. Building on Bourdieu’s field perspective, we investigate structural homologies of gendered inequality across interdependent fields of startup and venture capital. Drawing on 31 interviews with women entrepreneurs and women venture capital funders in Tel Aviv, we identify two interlinked dynamics. First, gendered power operates through structural homologies of cross-field narratives of gendered habitus and symbolic violence. Second, women experience gendered inequality through ambivalence between counter-habitus and tactical accommodation. These findings contribute to the application of the Bourdieusian approach within entrepreneurship research.