Career Paths of Male Physical Therapist Students Entering a Female-Dominant Profession

Abstract

Female-dominant professions, including physical therapy, are attractive to men for a variety of reasons. What is unknown, however, are some of the factors that enter into the career choices of male physical therapist students who enter a female-dominant profession. A qualitative study was undertaken that involved analysis of 20 interviews of male students. A theory, grounded in the data, was developed and is presented as a model for the development of the career paths of male physical therapist students. Gender stereotypes, reflected in the beliefs and knowledge of other health care professions and in attitudes about roles and responsibilities, influenced the initial physical therapy career choice as well as future career plans. Life experiences such as an orthopedic injury or interest in sports often led to the discovery of physical therapy as a career choice. However, most students did not know that physical therapy is a female-dominant profession when they first became interested in the profession. The model also provides insight into factors that affect students' future employment plans. Key Words: Career choice, Female-dominant profession, Gender, Physical therapy. INTRODUCTION Occupations may be segregated by gender if the particular attributes of the job are viewed as masculine or feminine and if the majority of workers are male or female.1 This gender segregation of professions may be a factor in the career choices made by both men and women. Although women are more likely to select a traditionally male-dominant career, men may be discouraged from selecting a female-dominant profession because of perceptions that the attributes of the job are feminine.2-5 Historically, physical therapy has been a profession consisting of a higher percentage of females than the percentage in the general population. The first physical therapy professional organization in the United States was called the American Women's Physical Therapy Association. Men did not begin to enter the profession in increasing numbers until after WW II.6 Today, men make up 30% of the membership of the American Physical Therapy Association.7 Previously, research has focused on the career development of women entering male-dominant professions.8-12 Kanter8,9 developed the classic theory of tokenism in which the minority women in dominant male groups are described as tokens. These tokens experience increased visibility, yet with isolation from male peers, they are subjected to increased performance pressure and react by underachieving. Kanter believed that if men were tokens in a female-dominant profession, they would experience similar pressure. However, in a study of male nurses, Heikes13 determined that the male token experience led to higher status in the profession. Snavely and Fairhurst14 found that male nurses did not respond to token pressure by under-achieving. Male nurses, teachers, librarians, and social workers actually felt pressure to move into more prestigious and higher-paying positions.15 Further research by Houser and Garvey16 showed that the support of significant others (especially men) was a powerful influence for a woman to enter a nontraditional field. Research into the male minority experience in a female-dominant profession and the reasons why men choose to enter such a profession indicates that these men may make career decisions or be influenced in their choice in a different way than men who enter a male-dominant field.13,15,17,18 Men enter gender-atypical careers in times of economic stress or upheaval, when jobs are not readily available in gender-typical fields, or when they perceive that opportunities for advancement are not available in gender-typical fields.19,20 For instance, men may more readily enter the female-dominant profession of nursing, if they perceive that jobs are readily available and that they will be able to rise quickly within the profession into various leadership positions. …