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Male preschool teacher students negotiating masculinities: a qualitative study with men who are studying to become preschool teachers

ABSTRACT The overall interest is to understand how men who study preschool teaching negotiate masculinities. Earlier research shows how male teachers negotiate masculinities when being in and entering a predominantly feminine work area, such as early childhood education [see, for example, Brody, D. L. (2015). The construction of masculine identity among men who work with young children, an international perspective. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(3), 351–361; Pirard, F., Schoenmaeckers, P., & Camus, P. (2015). Men in childcare services: From enrolment in training programmes to job retention. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(3), 362–369; Simpson, R. (2014). Doing gender differently. Men in caring occupations. In S. Kumra, R. Simpson, & R. J. Burke (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of gender in organizations (1st ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press)]. It this article Connells notion on hegemonic masculinity is reflected on in terms of negotiation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 men attending the preschool teacher-training programmes at three Swedish universities. The result shows two main themes for negotiation that were called ‘Becoming and being a “breaker”’ and ‘Coping with sticking out’.

Hållbart jämställdhetsarbete i förskolan och skolan i Norden : Med lärande exempel

Den har studien formedlar kunskap om hur larare, forskollarare och skolpersonal arbetar med jamstalldhet i ett antal forskolor och skolor i de nordiska landerna och sjalvstyrande omradena. Boken ly ...

Working to bring more men into preschools – What are Swedish municipalities doing?

ABSTRACT The focus of this study has been to examine a number of municipalities that work to recruit more men to work in preschools. The aim of the study has been to identify ways of working conducted by municipalities aiming to recruit more men to work in preschools. The study includes seven municipalities, all included in one network specifically aiming at the raising the number of men working in preschool. Interviews and discussions were carried out with key persons involved in the local work to recruit more men to preschools. This analysis can show trends in initiating the concrete work. The results show that an organization is needed and the formulation of objectives provides the organization. The organization and objectives contribute to continuity in the work, something that long-term areas for change often need.

Changing the gender balance in preschools: an analysis of active work carried out by seven Swedish municipalities

ABSTRACT The focus of this study is to examine seven municipalities that, in different ways, are working to recruit more men to work in preschools. The aim of the study is to identify different ways of working to recruit more men to work in preschools and to effect a change in the gender imbalance among the working staff in preschools. Relational agency is used as a conceptual tool in the analysis together with theories of organisational learning and change. The result is that municipalities use initiatives, one-dimensional processes or multi-dimensional processes when organising the change. These three ways of working characterise the work carried out. The work performed can in some cases be a mixture of all three, or at least comprise the first two—initiatives and one-dimensional processes. This shows how municipalities address the issue differently and the fact that the type of agency they take and are prepared to take—or the conditions needed to succeed—all differ. There is a great deal of variation in the work performed across the municipalities. One can discuss whether the municipalities more committed to change are also those more willing to have multi-dimensional processes.