Men in childcare – revolution or ripples in a female world

London

20. September 2005

Peter Møller Pedersen

Presentation

• Men in childcare – historical overview

• Men in childcare today – positions and strategies

• Men in childcare - Some numbers…• Initiatives to recruit more men• Why the silence?• The future….

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1900 1930 1950 1970 1980 1990 2000

Male applicants to the training programme

What happened in the 70’s

• Women in the labour marked

• The welfare state is building up

• Formal training programme

• ”The optimistic period”

Revolution? – The traditional social structure under pressure.

Today…• STEN, 22 , lives alone, high school degree, conscientious

objector, worked in a out-of-school institution.He stresses the theoretical aspects of the training programme….Music, music, music…

• OLE, 33, live with his brother, divorced, 2 children, worked in a slaughterhouse for 7 years. Member of a biking group.Break – assistant child care worker.He stresses that men in childcare is necessary and useful for society.

• IVER, 24, live with his girlfriend, purposeful, decided in the age of 17 to become childcare worker.Identify with the profession. Don’t use gender as an explanation.Arranged OL-games under practice.

Male positions in a female world

Sports

Playroom

Kitchen

Animals

WorkshopManagers office

Male positions in a female world

Male staff in different kinds of day care institutions for children. Percent.

Type of institution 1992 1995 2000/03

Day nusery (0-3)Skilled staffUnskilled staffTotal

2%7%4%

2%8%5%

1%5%3%

Kindergarten (3-6)Skilled staffUnskilled staffTotal

7%12%10%

5%14%9%

6%10%7%

Integrated institutions (0-6)Skilled staffUnskilled staffTotal

--

8%

8%--

9%11%10%

Out-of-school (6-10)Skilled staffUnskilled staffTotal

27%21%25%

24%24%24%

24%22%23%

Youth institution (13-18)Skilled staff

49% - 42%

Initiatives in Denmark

Phase 1: 1992 – 1999• Attention to problems with the boys in schools

and institutions.• One suggested solution: more men in childcare.• Campaigns to recruit more men• Public debate• Governmental goals (no numbers mentioned) • Report from the government about the problem

1998• A few or none research projects.

Initiatives in Denmark

Phase 2: 2000 – today• No public debate or campaigns.• Attention to problems for boys and girls.• A few research projects.• New specializations and options in the training

programme: sports, out door life.• A few institutions divide boys and girls.

Why the silence?

Another focus:

•Social mobility – equal opportunities

•Inclusive education

•National curriculum's

•Individualisation – self-identity

•Bad news about male childcare workers – they don’t do the job

What now?

• Male childcare workers is not the goal alone

• Inclusive labour marked – men want childcare.

• Inclusive training programmes – space for male and female positions.

• National programmes needed.• Clue: listen to men in childcare…

Male strategies in female settings

Identification with the

professionAn implicit alliance

between profession and gender.

Extension of the profession

Gender gives the opportunity to develop

new solutions.

Criticism ofprofession

Gender as reason for critique

Segregation of profession

Masculine identity outside the training

programme.

High identifica-tion with the profession

Segregation:Profession/gender

Low identifica-tion with the profession

Integration:Profession

/gender

Denmark Viborg-Seminariet

1991 15,6

1992 16,3

1993 18,0 13,5

1994 20,5 17,4

1995 21,8 23,8

1996 21,3 20,1

1997 20,6 19,1

1998 19,6 16,7

1999 18,7 12,2

2000 18,2 14,7

2001 18,0 16,9 (13,3)

2002 21,0 23,5 (20,5)

2003 22,0 17,7 (15,9)

Kilde: Den koordinerede tilmelding og Viborg-Seminariets optagelsesudvalg. I 2001 etablerede Viborg-Seminariet en idrætslinje. Tallene i parentes angiverandelen af mandlige ansøgere eksklusiv idrætslinjen.

Male applicantsFor the Training-programme

Revolution or rippling?

• The social order is challenged

• Male childcare workers do a difference – but at the same time the reproduce the social order

• Still great barriers for men in childcare