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Entering a new space
I have embarked on two different careers in my life so far across two different industries which have a core commonality – a gender imbalance within staffing. As a chef over a decade working nationally and internationally from small independent businesses like local pubs through to international chains, such as Wagamama and Las Iguanas, I encountered the industry wide standard that kitchen staff would be at blueprint between 80% to 95% male. Coming into early childhood education I have found a similar picture, but with the gender roles reversed. Entering a new work place where you represent a minority community is always a challenge as it tends to elicit the feeling that one has nowhere to hide. You ‘stand out’ so to speak and become sensitive to the possibilities and realities of differentiation in treatment. This will be a feeling most people have experienced at some point in their lives, and early childhood education, as with many sectors, now offers equality and diversity training as standard to help flag where support is available within the structure of your workplace. This is a huge step forward already, I know as a chef I watched in real time the beginning of the implementations of such offerings start to filter through into businesses, even helping to write some policies for my companies. But the ‘on the ground’ feeling of practitioners day to day, even when the sources of support have been flagged to them, can often be a confusion as to what contextually constitutes differentiated behaviour. When am I being commented on or required to do something because it is within the purview of my job role? And when is it due to the fact that I am not the gender, or race, that they are accustomed to working with? Early childhood is a distinctly human industry and navigating these questions in a fast moving and ever-changing environment is a key challenge of entering the space.
Things you may hear as a male
Specifics are individual of course but some verbiage I have found more common is to question ‘whether men have the maternal instinct’ for childcare, particularly in relation to caring for babies. Questions may be asked over the appropriateness of men being part of the physical care routines of children such as toilet training, nappy changing and assisting with dressing and undressing. I have also found that your tone of voice as a male is more likely to be challenged, with masculinity presenting as an umbrella term for behavioural expectations that encompass aggression. Finally, and seemingly contradictory of the last point, the nature of your masculinity and sexuality can be called into question in extreme circumstances in relation to you taking of the role. When hearing such things I have found the key take aways are both to reflect upon your own practice and behaviours of course, we should not turn away from the critical practice of self-reflection to see our role in people’s expectations. But also, we must examine where such prejudices come from at root. Are people’s expectations of gender roles rooted in their own personal family experiences? Are they based on prevailing societal stereotypes, often those carried over from a very different past? An understanding of why you may be confronted with challenging ideas or comments related to your gender can help form a defence against allowing these ideas to affect your work, or crucially your own mental health. This can also help to open up conversations around subconscious bias, and challenging gender stereotypes and discrimination.
Challenges faced by all within early childhood education
It is important to place the unique challenges of being a male in a female dominated space within the context of the wider challenges faced by all who enter into this industry. To draw another parallel to my previous industry as a chef, the work place of early childhood is dominated by staff from a great array of cultural backgrounds, often having English as an additional language (EAL). It is also often populated with young people, I have found this to be between the ages of 16-22. This is often their first professional job, and therefore they have so much to get to grips with in their role. They must balance learning their duties as a safe guarder, studying the EYFS, learning from the practice of their colleagues, reading critical theory, managing challenging behaviours, creating enabling environments, modelling good behaviours and becoming a self-reflective practitioner, all while working within a company structure and in partnership with parents or carers. Statutory guidelines and philosophical approaches provide a wide scope for interpretation of ideology within the early years sector, meaning your job role is fluid, ever changing, complex and emotionally taxing. It is also, I should note here, richly rewarding. But it is key to note that the specific challenges faced by men as a minority gender within this space exist on top of those inherent to all those taking on the mantle of becoming an early childhood educator.
Possible solutions to the challenges faced by men in early years
Open dialogue is key to the maintenance of your own personal mental health and the good state of all professional relationships within this sphere. It is a people business so the better people know you, your tone, voice, style and manner, the better they will interpret your intentions. This applies to dialogue from employer to employee, practitioner to parent, adult to child and from colleague to colleague. Keep talking about and reflecting on your own practice, what you see and hear, and how this reflects on other people. Find common ground with people – everyone within the sphere is there because they have children’s best interests in mind and at heart. From there, commonality can always be found. Also, be the change you want to see. We have no shortage of historical evidence that to tackle inequality at a cultural level it takes strong minded individuals to overcome pre-existing expectations and prove that gender, class, race or disability should be no barrier to entry.
Key takeaways
- Men can face unique challenges entering the early years profession, they may encounter prejudicial expectations or treatment.
- Self-reflection is important to keep your practice of expected and respectful standards
- Prejudiced views may exist due to a range of reasons, understanding these reasons can help to break down barriers.
- Early childhood education can be challenging for all who enter it, but that creates a common bond that can help bring people together.
- It is important to keep an open dialogue with everyone involved in order to tackle challenges around prejudice and stereotyping
- Don’t let stereotyping be a barrier to entry, be the change you want to see.
Critical considerations
- Have you experienced prejudicial behaviour in the workplace?
- How did this make you reflect on your own practice?
- Can you think of any potential motivations behind this behaviour?
- Who do you talk openly to about your experience within the workplace?
- Have you received equality and diversity training? What were your take aways?
Explainer
EAL: English as an additional language
EYFS: Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework – the legal framework for early years settings in England.
Enabling environment: A space, indoor or outdoor, within which individuals and groups of people are made to feel safe, secure, supported, equal and respected. This includes spaces which allow individuals to develop and learn through the perspective of a asset-based, enabling approach. Enabling environments encompass both the physical and emotional aspects.
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