A job that feels good – men’s motivation for entering caring occupations

Abstract

Men’s choice of occupations are traditionally linked to extrinsic motives such as pursuit of higher income, or enhanced status, whereas women’s occupational choices are viewed as more intrinsic, insofar as they enter occupations that they consider inherently worthwhile or satisfying. As a consequence, women tend to work in the reproductive sphere, with people and personal needs, while men work in the higher-paying productive sphere, with tools and technology. However, a small group of men are choosing to work as professional caregivers, apparently motivated by intrinsic factors. On the basis of in-depth interviews with 35 male nurses, childcare workers and home care helpers/assistants, this article describes why men choose to work in caring occupations. These men are dissatisfied with male-dominated work, which they characterize as monotonous and physically demanding. Some of these men choose care work in order to make a difference in their work life, as well as reconciling the demands of work and family life. Others have chosen jobs in the care sector after having been laid off from other jobs. Having learned about professional care work from family and acquaintances, these men become motivated to pursue a non-traditional career. Crossing over into the traditionally female-dominated care sector poses a potential challenge to men’s gender identity. The men must constantly defend themselves and explain their presumably inappropriate choices. Otherwise, they risk being viewed as less masculine, not ‘real’ men. The coming decades will see a shortage of care workers, and the increased labour demands are unlikely to be met solely by recruiting more women. However, recruiting men into the care sector will require a change in the stereotypic image of care work. While higher wages are likely to increase men’s motivations to consider entering the care sector, wage incentives alone are not sufficient.