Maskulinity péče a stárnutí
| Title in English | Masculinity, Care, and Aging |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Peer-reviewed scientific article |
| Magazine / Source | Sociální studia / Social Studies |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | article - open access |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.5817/SOC2025-41016 |
| Keywords | Masculinity; Care; aeging; Nursing |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The paper presents the initial findings of research on men who provide professional care. Based on twelve in-depth interviews with men working as nurses, this study explores how themes of masculinity and care are intertwined in the participants’ own perceptions, set against the backdrop of organisational structures within healthcare. It also examines their experiences of ageing and its perceived manifestations. The study is part of a broader qualitative sociological research project, Institutions of Ageing Men (IAM, Czech Science Foundation, 2023–2025), which focuses on the intersections and relationships among ageing, masculinity, care, and power in the Czech Republic. The feminised profession of nursing involves not only medical tasks but also emotional support and the provision of human closeness—elements that simultaneously offer opportunities and challenges for the performance of masculinity within this context. Participants describe their relations to intimacy, providing relief through attentiveness to others’ needs, gentleness, and careful handling. They reflect on how these characteristics—stereotypically associated with femininity—are integrated into their own masculine experience. The analysis of acts of tenderness and their framing through masculine experience contributes to the theoretical conceptualisation of masculinity. In connection with male caregivers, the demanding nature of the profession emerges as a site where physical performance enables the cultivation of masculine identity associated with privilege and status. The analysis reveals a dynamic interplay of denial of ageing, vulnerability, career ambitions, and admiration for female colleagues. |
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