Men in Early Childhood Education and Care (eBook)

Jo Warin is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University, UK, and co-director of the Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education. She has researched extensively in the fields of gender, identity and education.

Preface 6
Acknowledgements 8
Contents 9
1: Introduction: Why More Men in ECEC? 10
Aims of This Book 10
The Historical and International Picture 18
Structure of the Book 21
ECEC 23
The Use of Fictional Names 23
References 24
2: Scripts for Promoting Men’s Presence in the Early Years: Gender Balance and Gender Flexibility 27
Introduction: Theoretical Arguments for More Men in Early Childhood Education 27
Gender Difference Arguments 29
Gender Transformation Arguments 33
Research Findings About Gender Balance and Gender Flexibility 37
Perceptions About the Value of a Gender Balance Script 39
An Alternative Discourse: The Versatile ECEC Practitioner and the Principle of Gender Flexibility 41
Conclusion 44
References 45
3: Identities and Masculinities in Early Childhood Education 48
Introduction: Identities and Masculinities 48
The Construction of Identities 49
Gendered Identities 51
Masculinities 52
Constructing Masculinities at Acorns Nursery 55
Conclusion 61
References 62
4: Fathers and Male Preschool Workers 65
Introduction: The Family and the Preschool 66
Does Maleness Matter in Childcare? What Does the Fatherhood Literature Tell Us? 66
Are Fathers as Responsive to Infants and Young Children as Mothers? 67
Do Children Lose Out by Not Having an Adult Male Figure in Their Lives? 70
Do Fathers Have a Specifically Beneficial Influence? 72
Complementary and Interchangeable Roles in the Family and in the ECEC 75
ECEC Males Engaging Fathers 76
Conclusion 80
References 81
5: Men and Care: Diversity and Equity 85
Introduction: The Concept of Care 86
The Downgrading of Care in Education 87
Emotional Labour and Privileged Irresponsibility 89
Feminist Ethic of Care 90
Body Matters: Coping with Puke, Pee and Punches 91
Suspicions Concerning Male ‘Touch’ 94
Male Ways of Caring and Men’s Emotional Labour 96
Conclusion 100
References 101
6: ‘Testosterone Play’? 105
Introduction: Men’s Contribution to Play 105
Play: Taking the ‘Rough’ Out of ‘Tumble’ 107
Popularity 110
Risky Play 111
Playfulness 113
A Value for ‘Freedom’ 115
Men’s Involvement in the Growth of Outdoor Play 118
Conclusion 120
References 122
7: Recruitment, Training and Retention 125
Introduction: How to Develop a Gender-­Sensitive Workforce in ECEC 125
Recruitment 126
Recruitment Models Outside the UK 127
Work Experience ‘Taster’ Opportunities 131
Recruitment Crisis in Related Professions 133
Training 133
The Value of Male-Only Support Groups and Mentoring 137
Retention 139
Leadership and Collegiality 140
Conclusion 141
References 141
8: Conclusion: Men’s Presence in ECEC as a Pathway Towards Positive Gender Transformation 145
Gender Flexibility 146
A Script for Promoting ‘More Men’ in Early Childhood Education 149
References 150
Index 152