Publication details
Muži - zdravotní sestry jako výzva i možné řešení
| Title in English | Men nurses as a challenge and a possible solution |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | Men are not often associated with a caring role. The presentation presents the initial findings of an analysis, so far, of thirteen in-depth interviews with men who care within their profession as nurses, which focuses on the linking of themes of masculinity and care in the perceptions of the actors themselves against the backdrop of organisational structures in the healthcare sector, and also notes the felt manifestations of ageing. The research is part of a comprehensive qualitative sociological research project, The Institution of Ageing Men (IAM GAČR 2023 - 25), focusing on the intersection and relationships between ageing, masculinity and care in the context of the Czech Republic. The feminized profession of nursing, involving not only medical acts but also emotional support, shows the possibilities and challenges of realizing masculinity within its framework. Participants describe relating to intimacy, providing relief through attention to the actual needs of the other, and acts requiring gentleness and careful handling. They reflect on how they individually connect these characteristics stereotypically associated with femininity in their work experiences. They also describe how and whether caregiving is inscribed in their everyday lives. The analysis of acts of tenderness and their framing by masculine experience contributes to the theoretical conceptualisation of masculinity. In conjunction with man providers, the demanding nature of the profession emerges as an opportunity to cultivate a masculine identity associated with privilege and status through bodily performances but that also poses risks compounded by the ageing process. Men describe situations in which they are more likely to be asked for help requiring physical strength, which reinforces their concerns about ageing, which are also influenced by gendered expectations. The analysis reveals a dynamic interplay between the denial of ageing and the associated frailty and fears about the decline of strength and ability, which are reinforced by expectations associated with masculinity. |
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