Män som är lite mjukare : En kvalitativ studie om manliga undersköterskors erfarenheter av att arbeta inom en kvinnodominerad bransch

Sammanfattning: This study intends to gain understanding of male assistant nurses’ experiences of working in a female-dominated industry. The empirical material is based on eight interviews with male assistant nurses working in elderly care. To understand the experiences that have been illustrated we have used Connells (2009) and Hirdmans (2003) gender theories and Alvesson & Billings (2011) theory about the labour markets segregation.   The majority of the male assistant nurses described the career choice as a coincidence, although a number of underlying factors emerged. Such as the social factor and good job opportunities in elderly care. The characteristics that the male assistant nurses believed where required for the job where the ability to empathize and to be calm. They also highlighted the differences they experienced in terms of the characteristics between men and women. The male nurses claimed to possess physical strength and efficiency, while women possess the opposite characteristics. The experiences also illustrated the division of labour that appears in the elderly care, where men are expected to do tasks that are technically, mentally and physically demanding more frequently than female colleagues. The male assistant nurses’ experiences also portrayed prejudices and resistors from female patients when it comes to tasks that include personal hygiene. Some female patients do not want the help from men. The men also pointed out the advantages they experience when it comes to tasks such as cleaning and laundry, privileges they possess due to gender.   The result shows that it appears gender stereotypes regarding the division of labour as portrayed by the male nurse’s experiences. Tasks are often distributed by gender, which leads to a gendered division in the elderly care. This means that the male nurse’s masculinity is maintained even if the elderly care is associated with women. When men enter elderly care a gendered division of labour emerges. There also emerges some sort of balance between acting and behaving masculine due to gender, whilst maintaining female characteristics that the job requires.