Participation of Men in Childcare - the US and the UAE - Case Study Example

Participation of men in childcare: The U.S. and the UAE Introduction For a long time, the statistics on male involvement in childcare have not changed much, nor have the reasons why men do not engage in childcare. From culture to stereotypes, the field of childcare has remained a female affair since time immemorial. Some British men, on the other hand, claim that even if they wanted to be nannies, they would fear being labeled as pedophiles. Such challenges are experienced by men all over the world, as few governments have legislations to help improve the situation. Many more women continue to handle the childcare in the Middle East, where the patriarchal system still hinders them from venturing into other professions. While the US claims to uphold democracy right across the social stratum, similar challenges are faced. Men only account for 5.2% of childcare workers, 2.3% of preschool and kindergarten teachers, and 17.8% of elementary and high school teachers (Drudy et al. 109). The United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the other hand, is based on extended families and homecare services. Most of the childcare is conducted through hiring nannies, mainly of Asian origin (which, however, depends on how wealthy a family is). Thus, children between ages 0 to 6 are taken care of by nannies or extended family members. The society also places the burden of rearing children on women, and thus men are not expected to deal with such attributes that are considered feminine. Statistics on the number of men working in the childcare sector in the UAE are scanty. The issue of men's participation in childcare in the UAE and the US will form the bulk of this paper. The challenges and the benefits experienced to-date will be researched and compared with what the future holds for the two countries. Participation Levels The United States has a childcare sector that employs an estimated 275,000 paid staff across a wide range of settings. This may include day nurseries, playgroups, and after-school care. It has been a key employment avenue through which women have had a chance to participate in the labor market, enabling them to achieve gender equality. The data available on the number of men participating in this sector has remained stagnant for the past decade despite the many national and local recruitment campaigns aimed at men. Another area that has not escaped the keen eyes of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) is the fact that men form a small minority of childcare trainees (Rolfe 5). With such sentiments, an increase in the number of men may be a long way from being realized. Men are looking for full-time employment and the part-time nature of childcare jobs puts them off. Most men, however, find it easier to work with older children compared to the younger ones and, therefore, are more in this area. It is also notable that the situations facing men entering childcare today are reminiscent of the situations faced when men entered nursing about 20 years ago (Nelson 62). The stereotyping incidents have made it difficult for many more to join this critical sector as a way of giving back to the community. Instead, men prefer it as a second-chance job after a stint of unemployment. Despite these changing attitudes amongst the men in the US, the UAE has a very different picture. The country has provided equal opportunities for both males and females, though the gaps between them are still prevalent. Women have been relegated to homes, with child raring and childcare activities being left to them. Men, on the other hand, participate in other activities that are considered masculine, with childcare being viewed skeptically. Education in the Arab world and more so in the UAE has been almost entirely the responsibility of women (Hasso 21). Very few men are involved in the way the child grows, the fathers only interacting with their children after work. Therefore, women have to reconcile their professional responsibilities with their domestic responsibilities. For this reason, nannies are employed to take care of children while parents work (Roumani 149). Unlike in the US, the issue of culture has significantly impeded the integration of men into the field of healthcare. Women have been left to juggle with these responsibilities. In fact, 100% of nursery school teachers and 55% of primary school teachers are women. Men wish to play a minimal role in childcare, leaving women as the most dominant gender there (Drudy et al. 110). Thus, men claim their spot as the heads of families and cannot involve themselves in issues regarding the raising of children in such a society. Despite the changing demographics in the world and the societal changes with the increased economic opportunities that women have been exposed to, the cultural aspects still control the larger part of the family life. The Western culture is more accommodating than the Middle East counterparts. The society has readily accepted men as part of the child’s life, whereas the men in the Middle East believe that women are supposed to take care of their children. The rate of divorces in the UAE has also made it difficult for men to accept their responsibilities within the family. Children are no longer a part of the parents’ concern. The US has, however, managed to change some of these perceptions, with more men being encouraged to engage in childcare (Nelson 69). It is even noted that only 1 in 10 families would feel uncomfortable with men in charge of their children. Men have been accepted as part of the childcare provision, as they are seen as bringing in more skills and attitudes missing amongst their female counterparts. However, this does not change men’s perception in both the US and the UAE. The similarities between the US and the UAE are numerous. men are more of conservatives and chauvinists. It is essential to note that gender roles are defined by the society and, therefore, can be changed. However, the two societies have defined their roles and made unwritten rules on how to interact with their environment. The men in the US use their stereotyping sentiments to run away from taking care of the children, while those in the UAE use culture and religion as a way of limiting their roles in childcare (Hasso 28; Rolfe 6). The only thing evident from this is their escapist tendencies. The men in the US have categorized certain roles and careers as being feminine, and little involvement is expected from them. However, there are those who have shed-off these criticisms and engaged in providing care to children (Drudy et al. 114). The UAE is still embedded in cultural attributes that hinder men’s participation in such roles. The cultural outlook and the fear of what will be said about their masculinity hinder many from engaging in such undertakings. As a result, women have had to look for nannies from elsewhere, who only have low academic qualifications to tend to children (Roumani 148). Little emphasis is placed on the kindergartens and nursery schools, hence the need for more housemaids. Unlike in the US where nurseries and kindergartens form the basic aspect of the child’s first education experience, most of the learning amongst children in the UAE is based on home settings with the extended family, the parents and the nannies playing a greater role in educating the child in his or her first five years. The need for masculine presence in the raising of a child has thus not been emphasized or even researched. Women believe that it is their duty to raise children, while men expect women to do this perfectly and without their help. Poor terms and conditions of employment are a common scenario in both countries. Men are always skeptical of such jobs due to the low pay and little prestige that comes with them. They want to be identified with well-paying jobs as well as jobs that offer prestige in the society. In the UAE, wealthy men are highly esteemed in the society and are allowed to interact with those of their caliber (Rolfe 7). In the U.S., wealth allows men to indulge in activities such as getting insurance for their families, paying mortgages, and sustaining their family as expected. The bottom-line is the need to satisfy their egos. The childcare sector does not offer certain rights and privileges that men would wish to possess (Nelson 75). The sector lacks proper remuneration as regards pension rights and sick pay, has poor career structures, and lacks consistency in training, which is detrimental for upward mobility. Furthermore, few apprentices are established, which hinders the increased potential that the young men could have used to become engaged in this sector (Rolfe 8). Men from both countries share these sentiments and thus under-value the professional status of childcare work. In both settings, there is a common trend. Women are now more than ever being liberated from the traditional perspectives. More women are educated and several others acquire formal employment. This has prompted more involvement of men in the running of the family. Despite the roles entirely left to the women, men in the US have become engaged in embracing some of these routine childcare tasks. In the UAE, men become involved only in encouraging women to acquire a nanny or leave the child with the extended family members or friends. They are yet to completely embrace the childcare sector (Roumani 149). They still view themselves as the providers and breadwinners in the family, and thus cannot bow down to engage in roles considered as feminine. The American man has, however, come out in support of the wife, with daycare centers being operated by both men and women or even men being left with the children as mothers go to work. The Benefits of Having Male Childcare Workers The US has reported several benefits which can be shared with men and authorities in the UAE to help level the ground in the country. Men have been reported as having greater satisfaction at their workplaces, thus creating a relaxed atmosphere in these centers (Nelson 75). They enjoy high levels, especially when they help children to learn, gaining the understanding of a child’s perspective and the ability to form better relationships with children and other workers within the childcare setting. This is positive compared to the skepticism associated with the work, especially where men are involved. They challenge the stereotypes and demonstrate gender equity, which is significant in raising children. As a matter of fact, they present different gendered upbringing, which could help to precipitate new methods of handling children in care centers (Rolfe 10). These experiences all benefit children and ensure their well-being. It also helps solve the shortage of solving skills and improve the image of the childcare sector in the long run. Exposure of children to role models is very detrimental to their growth and upbringing (Drudy et al. 114). It increases their chances of interacting and growing up cognitively as a result of having such caring male models around them. Children can thus look up to them. The skills provided are diverse. With women, it is easier to teach social skills. With men incorporated, social skills are encouraged through team sports and other active ventures. Behavior management for young boys is easier, since they have someone they can look up to (Nelson 78). The Future The UAE has a role to play in incorporating men in childcare. For ages, the society has termed childcare as a woman’s sphere and thus the men have found it difficult to engage in activities that involve childcare. Campaigns to recruit men and the use of some of the responsible celebrities encourage many more to shed the chauvinism within to ensure their children grow with role models from both parents. The presence of men in childcare cannot be emphasized enough, with the benefits for children being long term. This can be done by involving few men who are willing to participate in such an endeavor and then replicate the study in several other cities within the UAE. This will help reduce the skepticism and the stereotyping associated with childcare. This will entail engaging willing men to achieve the best for the sake of the children and the future of the UAE population. With the increasing number of divorce cases in both countries, the use of childcare education may help unite many families and improve the quality of sharing the responsibilities at home. Works Cited Drudy, S., M. Martin, M. Woods, and J. O’Flynn. Men and the Classroom: Gender Imbalances in Teaching. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print. Hasso, F. Consuming Desires: Family Crisis and the State in the Middle East. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2010. Print. Nelson, B.G. The Importance of Men Teachers: And Reasons Why There Are So Few. Minneapolis: MenTeach, 2002. Print. Rolfe, H. Men in Childcare. Manchester: Equal Opportunities Commission. 2006. Print. Roumani, H. B. “Maids in Arabia.” Journal of Early Childhood Research, 3(2) (2005): 149- 167. Print. Read More