Masculinities and Caring Occupations: The Gendered Dimension in Nursing Education

Gender segregation in education and employment is well-known. However, the academic debate has rarely addressed the underrepresentation of men in feminized courses of study and workplaces. The article aims to fill this gap by exploring how gender and masculinities are thematized and performed in traditionally female educational and training (and working) contexts. The paper is based on empirical research, conducted in Italy, which includes 28 interviews with male nurses and three mixed-gender focus groups with 16 nursing students. The results show that a de-gendered view of the profession is dominant among the participants and in academic curricula. However, several gendered features are at work. First, the choice to become a nurse is narrated in very gendered ways, with women associating the profession with a vocation or a mission, so reinforcing the religious and hyper-feminine character that it had at the beginning. Moreover, the choice of this course of study and of specializing in «feminine» curricula expose men to stigmatization, forcing them to enact strategies to resist it through self-irony, emphasizing interpersonal skills, and working harder to demonstrate their professional competence. Finally, the pivotal role of women in training is framed in ways that either reinforce stereotypes concerning the relationship between femininity and care work, reproducing a binary vision of gender, or valuing the most «noble» aspects of care, distancing from the «dirty work» associated with women. In conclusion, the paper reasons about the opportunity and the tools to introduce a gender perspective in nursing and life-long education with the aim of helping (future) nurses to reflect on their and their patients’ gender identity and practices.