Abstract
AbstractPrimary teaching has traditionally been framed by assumptions about gender. These commonly held, but seldom voiced, assumptions have a strong impact on male primary schoolteachers and on men considering teaching as a career. Focusing on the lives of five Irish male primary teachers, this article unpacks a number of the assumptions relating to men who teach children at primary level. Many of the assumptions are often shrouded in silence, which increases the difficulty in addressing them. In this context, discussions surrounding the topics of care, men working with young children and teaching as a feminine occupation, are presented. The study employs three data-collection phases using the interview as the primary method of enquiry. Overall, two major challenges were identified: informal barriers and the concept of care in education. The study’s findings show that gender relations within a feminine environment are central to understanding masculinities in primary schools. This article makes a contribution towards revealing how issues of masculinities are navigated and negotiated on a daily basis. Allied to this, it also provides a context for understanding the challenges male teachers face on a continuous basis. This article is published as part of a thematic collection on gender studies.
Highlights
A paradigm shift has taken place in Ireland surrounding identity, meaning and politics
To borrow Woodward and Woodward’s (2015) words, as a field that was “hotly contested”. Such intense debate has resulted in an increased public awareness of gender and gender politics
This study focuses on one major interest group in education: the male teacher
Summary
A paradigm shift has taken place in Ireland surrounding identity, meaning and politics. The historic Irish Marriage Equality Referendum (Griffith, 2013) is such an exemplar. The Referendum campaign, which sought to extend civil marriage rights to same-sex couples, initiated a series of passionate public discussions and high-profile debates. To borrow Woodward and Woodward’s (2015) words, as a field that was “hotly contested”. Such intense debate has resulted in an increased public awareness of gender and gender politics. As the gender equality lens has traditionally focused on women (Mac an Ghaill, 1996: 1; Kimmel, 2013: 5), it comes as no surprise that measurable and progressive advancement has predominantly benefitted Irish women. This study focuses on one major interest group in education: the male teacher. The fact that so many researchers are men, Lynch (1999: 41) writes, and so many teachers are female “further compounds the power relations of research production in education”, resulting in the inevitable outcome of poor dissemination of research among practitioners (Hargreaves, 1996)
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