Undoing gender: Men in nursing resisting heteronormativity

Joint Event on 49^th International Congress on Nursing Care Plan & Health & 50^th World Congress on Men in Nursing

July 16-18, 2018 | Rome, Italy

Thomas Harding

University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

The heteronormative scripts of femininity and masculinity are powerful constructs with respect to the typing of â??gender appropriateâ?? occupations. This paper presents the serendipitous findings from a study of New Zealand men in a graduate nursing programme that rather than â??doingâ?? gender they are involved in a transgressive project of â??undoingâ?? gender. Thematic analysis of the participantsâ?? narratives revealed their understanding of the feminization of caring, the devaluing of nursing as womenâ??s work, their understanding of some areas of nursing as being more â??male appropriateâ??, and the stereotyping of men in nursing as homosexual. These constructions are disquieting and raised anxiety for these men with respect to their personal and professional impact. However, these men did not subscribe to the script of hegemonic masculinity and saw themselves as resistant and hopeful of being part of a societal change, where menâ??s movement into â??femaleâ?? occupations is no longer problematized.

Biography :

E-mail: thomas.harding@canterbury.ac.nz