Men as Workers in Services for Young Children: Issues of mixed gender workforce(Bedford Way Papers)

Whilst it is widely accepted that men should play a greater part in the rearing of their own children, there is much less agreement about the involvement of men in the care of other people’s children. Nursery nursing is one of the most female-dominated of occupations. Yet if society were completely equal with regard to gender we might expect as many men as women to be working in services for young children. At the same time, when men do enter this most stereotypic female occupation, there can be suspicion of their motives and even a fear that they may pose a danger to the children. This book reports on an international seminar which examined in detail all aspects of men working in services for young children. It drew on experience from Britain, the USA and several Scandinavian countries. The book looks at the potential benefits of men in childcare – both to the children and to society in general; at the dangers that men might pose and how these can be eliminated; at the impact of men entering a predominately female occupation for the women who work there; and at initiatives trying to recruit more men as childcare workers. The book also discusses the issue of gender pedagogy – whether men and women care in different ways – and whether boys and girls need to experience both.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Introduction 1 Men as Workers in Services for Young Children: Prolegomena by Charlie Owen 2 Men as Carers for Children: An Introduction by Claire Cameron and Peter Moss Part 2 Non-traditional Working 3 What Happens When Men Move into Female-dominated Occupations? by Erna Sundqvist 4 Men in Female-dominated Occupations in Finland by Johanna Lammi-Taskula 5 Mixed-gender Workforces: Issues in Nursing by Sarah Robinson 6 Men Working with Young Children: A Natural Development? by Sue Smedley 7 Men in Non-traditional Working Practices by Sandy Pepperell Part 3 Gender Differences: What Difference Does it Make Having Men Working in Services for Young Children – to Children, Parents and the Staff Group? 8 Gender Differences: The Child’s Perspective by Charlie Lewis and Jo Warin 9 Men as Workers in Services for Young Children: Issues of a Mixed-gender Workforce by Trevor Chandler 10 Masculine Care: The Nursery School as a Man’s Workplace by Tommie Nilsen and Lars Maanum 11 Men as Workers in Childcare Services: A European Perspective by Jytte Juul Jensen Part 4 Risks, Allegations and Protection: Does Having More Male Workers Increase the Risks for Young Children and What Can Be Done to Protect Children from Risk and Workers from False Allegations? 12 Men As Workers in Services for Young Children by Svein Ole Sataøen 13 Men as Childcare Workers: Are the Risks Worth the Benefits? by Susan J. Kelley 14 Men As Workers in Professional Childcare Settings: An Anti-oppressive Practice Framework by Keith Pringle 15 Child Protection, Risk and Allegations by Andy Bateman Part 5 Training and Recruiting Men to Work in Services for Young Children: Are there Effective Strategies for Developing a Mixed-gender Workforce? 16 Are there Effective Strategies for Developing a Mixed-gender Workforce in Childcare? by Erik Hauglund 17 Training and Recruiting Men to Work in Services for Young Children: Is it Possible to Move towards a More Mixed-gender Workforce? by Leif Ærø 18 Is it Possible to Get More Men to Train and Work in Services for Young Children and How Might this be Achieved? by Björn Flising 19 Men As Kindergarten Workers by Jari-Matti Vuorio 20 The Sheffield Children’s Centre’s Experiences of Recruiting and Training Men to Work in Services for Young Children by Chrissy Meleady 21 Discussion by Kenny Spence 22 Discussion: Training and Recruiting Men to Work in Services for Young Children by Robin Wright Part 6 Conclusions 23 Summary: Men as Workers in Services for Young Children by Helen Penn

Review :
…an important and original investigation into the nature of gendered work. Highly commended. These controversial issues are tackled comprehensively.