The theme of "female nature", and correspondingly of male ones, are since long time the focus of a complex debate between two opposite perspectives: innate theory vs social-costructivist theory. Both assign at individuals (male and female) a set of different characteristics connected to the gender, but the first one considers this set genetically determined more than socially learned. The second one, instead, is based on supposition that gender is a social result, consolidated starting from naturalization of biological differences, and constructing on them, a correspondent social and normative model. In the last perspective, if it’s possible thinking about “nature”, we need thinking about a durkheimian “second nature”. In this line of reflection, gender cultural models and gender social representations become very important. They are learned by individuals (male and female) during their gender socialization process, and then organize their normative and value structure and influence, consequently, their choices and behaviors. These gender representations, with which women collide in their every-day life, are considered the focal point to explain the female persistent difficulties in private life as in work and also political ones. But these representations are, at the same time, the problem with collide also men who decide to venture in fields of activities connected to care giving, traditionally thought “right for women”. Domestic care giving as social ones, are territories where men have been watched with suspect and, at most, with belief of a “natural” incapacity. The paper claims the aim to analyze how performative dimension of the gender affects heavily the social expectations in relation of some jobs. This qualitative research is focused on life-stories and choices of some men who have chosen, and sometimes who have accidentally begun, care giving jobs, traditionally “right for women”. It has been identified a group of fifteen men (between twenty and forty years) occupied as stay-at home father, baby-sitter and colf, and they are interviewed to analyze their attitudes, motivations, as their difficulties encountered in these “female” jobs. Their words and their explanations have been the starting point to reflect on gender issues, looking at discriminations suffered by men occupied in care giving jobs.

Maestri, colf, baby sitter, badanti e casalinghi. Attenzione “uomini al lavoro”

CARRERA, Letizia
2013-01-01

Abstract

The theme of "female nature", and correspondingly of male ones, are since long time the focus of a complex debate between two opposite perspectives: innate theory vs social-costructivist theory. Both assign at individuals (male and female) a set of different characteristics connected to the gender, but the first one considers this set genetically determined more than socially learned. The second one, instead, is based on supposition that gender is a social result, consolidated starting from naturalization of biological differences, and constructing on them, a correspondent social and normative model. In the last perspective, if it’s possible thinking about “nature”, we need thinking about a durkheimian “second nature”. In this line of reflection, gender cultural models and gender social representations become very important. They are learned by individuals (male and female) during their gender socialization process, and then organize their normative and value structure and influence, consequently, their choices and behaviors. These gender representations, with which women collide in their every-day life, are considered the focal point to explain the female persistent difficulties in private life as in work and also political ones. But these representations are, at the same time, the problem with collide also men who decide to venture in fields of activities connected to care giving, traditionally thought “right for women”. Domestic care giving as social ones, are territories where men have been watched with suspect and, at most, with belief of a “natural” incapacity. The paper claims the aim to analyze how performative dimension of the gender affects heavily the social expectations in relation of some jobs. This qualitative research is focused on life-stories and choices of some men who have chosen, and sometimes who have accidentally begun, care giving jobs, traditionally “right for women”. It has been identified a group of fifteen men (between twenty and forty years) occupied as stay-at home father, baby-sitter and colf, and they are interviewed to analyze their attitudes, motivations, as their difficulties encountered in these “female” jobs. Their words and their explanations have been the starting point to reflect on gender issues, looking at discriminations suffered by men occupied in care giving jobs.
2013
9788820458782
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11586/39176
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