Men in the educational and care professions: considerations from a field survey

Abstract

The article deals with the lack of men in training courses dedicated to the educational, health, and care professions.
Our research, carried out with university students who have been able to escape their “gender cages” by enrolling in studies generally regarded as female preserves, has allowed us to identify multiple social and cultural factors that discourage young men from entering fields of knowledge and practice that, historically, have been closed to their gender. The article specifically examines three factors: Italian school orientation policies, which are silent on gender issues; a cultural and social framework packed with stereotypes that devalue
men who choose careers in the health and care sectors; and non-stereotypical male role models at home and school who demonstrate their skills and passion in the educational, health, and care fields.
Our objective is to offer pedagogical hypotheses on the evolution of the male gender as well as to provide a general outline of educational policies that can promote effective gender equality in the context of schools and training.