Abstract
When it comes to gender equality, what usually hits the headlines is limitations on women entering roles that are stereotypically seen as the domain of men. Although it seems authorities in many countries are working to address such issues of inequality, what gets less attention is the opposite case: men who choose to take on roles that are still dominated by women. Such gender issues are undoubtedly culturally influenced, yet David Brody’s international exploration of a range of men working with young children shows that there is much to be learned from exploring these issues across very different cultures. In an engaging and informative book, he presents case studies of men working with young children in Switzerland, the USA, the Netherlands, Israel, the UK and Norway, exploring the backgrounds and decisions that led them to this role and their lived experience of it.
The book is divided into nine chapters, six of which focus on each of the subjects. Initial chapters introduce the subject matter and research methods, and in a final chapter the case studies synthesised and conclusions drawn. Although an eminently readable book, it is based on a robust methodology with clearly describes strengths and limitations. The men selected for the study are all teachers and have all been working in the field for a number of years, allowing Brody to explore both their journeys to this work and their significant experience of it. Further exploration of those men who have failed to find a longer term place in educating young children would add some contrast to the issues explored, although the scope chosen gives the book a cohesiveness and depth that such contrast might lack without significant further data.
Brody himself has a background in early childhood care and education, and although this brings a well-informed approach to the issues, the book does not feel overly coloured by his own experience. Instead, he lets the experiences of the men he studies tell their stories, with a ‘thick-description’ approach based on observations and interviews with the men themselves and their colleagues and managers. Each chapter is clearly signposted and structured around the different phases of the data collection and the themes explored. Along with the objective but detailed description, this structure supports the readers to synthesise and draw their own interpretations before engaging with Brody’s conclusions in the final chapter.
There are many interesting interpretations to be explored, with a range of cultures and situations represented in the sample. Many of these are shaped by cultural nuances, and readers unfamiliar with the subtleties of many of the cultures studied will find Brody sets out the important factors clearly and descriptively. There is a danger here of representing these men as archetypal of the particular national culture which they belong to, but this is clearly avoided. The overall impression is of individuals who, whilst shaped by the cultural background in which they are situated, possess their own unique perspective and background.
There is a good balance between the system-level details of education across countries, the broader influences and career choices of the men, and their day-to-day lived experience. The initial factors that led the subjects to choose such a path are not overtly privileged over the actual experience which has led them to stay and develop as educators.
Reading the descriptions of educational practice and reflections on them gathered through interviews gives a real sense of the excitement and delight with which the men approach their work, and the children they work with approach their learning experiences with them. A common thread between all the subjects is this purposeful enjoyment they derive from their roles. Such themes are not gender exclusive, but the reflections the men make take understanding of them deeper. Some construct particularly masculine roles that are often unique in their setting. They explore their sense of authority in matters of discipline and support of healthy risk-taking and ‘rough and tumble’ play in contrast to their female colleagues. Others reflect on a process of ‘fitting in’ that they have undergone, seeking to achieve in a job with many stereotypical connotations of female gender roles without losing their own identity.
Throughout, Brody is sensitive to the differing process of construction that the men have undergone in identifying with professional roles that are often so intertwined with personal characteristics and relationships. The subjects are never treated as typical cases of a particular culture, or indeed their gender, yet the differing cultural contexts they inhabit are clearly taken account of.
Although the objective descriptive approach is strong, there are some areas where value laden themes are explored which I felt would have benefited from more critical or challenging approaches. This is particularly evident in the recurring theme of the issue of physical contact between the men and the children. This is explored with all of the subjects, and their approaches to this subject are clearly recorded. However, I would have been interested in exploring how the men perceived the equity of this situation and delving more deeply into how they might challenge the values shaping their need for a particular approach. Despite this, Brody is consistent in his approach to these more controversial topics as he is to those that provide safer ground. The fact that I did, at times, want to intervene in an interview and ask additional questions shows the active role created for the reader by his objective narrative; one does feel they are hearing from these men directly and not through a lens coloured by the perspective of the researcher.
‘Men who teach young children’ makes a valuable contribution for better understanding the contribution made by men to the field and their motivations for working as part of what is usually a significant minority. It offers useful insights for those interested in cultural and structural issues around the education of young children and the motivations and challenges of educators.
It also offers insight for those who may share some of the attributes of the men studied, whether these are male educators, young children or others in a minority in this field. For such individuals, the construction of a supportive and robust professional identity may not come easily, but these case studies shed some light on those who have already done so and gone on to make a valuable contribution to the lives of young children.