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Still a Man's World: Men Who Do Women's Work (Men and Masculinity)
Men who do "women's work" have consistently been the butt of jokes, derided for their lack of drive and masculinity. In this eye-opening study, Christine Williams provides a wholly new look at men who work in predominantly female jobs. Having conducted extensive interviews in four cities, Williams uncovers how men in four occupations―nursing, elementary school teaching, librarianship, and social work―think about themselves and experience their work.
Contrary to popular imagery, men in traditionally female occupations do not define themselves differently from men in more traditional occupations. Williams finds that most embrace conventional, masculine values. Her findings about how these men fare in their jobs are also counterintuitive. Rather than being surpassed by the larger number of women around them, these men experience the "glass escalator effect," rising in disproportionate numbers to administrative jobs at the top of their professions. Williams finds that a complex interplay between gendered expectations embedded in organizations, and the socially determined ideas workers bring to their jobs, contribute to mens' advantages in these occupations.
Using a feminist psychoanalytic perspective, Williams calls for more men not only to cross over to women's occupations, but also to develop alternative masculinities that find common ground with traditionally female norms of cooperation and caring. Until the workplace is sexually integrated and masculine and feminine norms equally valued, it will unfortunately remain "still a man's world."
Contrary to popular imagery, men in traditionally female occupations do not define themselves differently from men in more traditional occupations. Williams finds that most embrace conventional, masculine values. Her findings about how these men fare in their jobs are also counterintuitive. Rather than being surpassed by the larger number of women around them, these men experience the "glass escalator effect," rising in disproportionate numbers to administrative jobs at the top of their professions. Williams finds that a complex interplay between gendered expectations embedded in organizations, and the socially determined ideas workers bring to their jobs, contribute to mens' advantages in these occupations.
Using a feminist psychoanalytic perspective, Williams calls for more men not only to cross over to women's occupations, but also to develop alternative masculinities that find common ground with traditionally female norms of cooperation and caring. Until the workplace is sexually integrated and masculine and feminine norms equally valued, it will unfortunately remain "still a man's world."
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 26, 2015
I found this book in a free pile during my last year of undergrad and snatched it up, eager to gain some more feminist perspective in my life. It took me two years to get around to reading it. Williams is a decent writer and certainly committed to her work. I would have to say, though, that this book is only mid-level at best... Perhaps useful for a first-year introductory course at university... But I'm not sure if I would even use it with that. Rife with issues and generalizations, Williams's research did not impress me. I will hold onto this book for many of the theorists that she cites, but there was nothing enlightening about her research.
January 11, 2009
A book about me (sort of)!
Really interesting; it brings out and fleshes out so many issues that I have seen in my jobs in the last three years, and really challenges some of the received wisdom about men in "women's" professions. Some of the stuff, such as men getting more credit for doing less when they are in these professions, is obvious. But there was much more about wage issues, how the job is presented to the outside world, and professionalization, that I see on a regular basis and people in my field are wrestling with.
Really interesting; it brings out and fleshes out so many issues that I have seen in my jobs in the last three years, and really challenges some of the received wisdom about men in "women's" professions. Some of the stuff, such as men getting more credit for doing less when they are in these professions, is obvious. But there was much more about wage issues, how the job is presented to the outside world, and professionalization, that I see on a regular basis and people in my field are wrestling with.
January 6, 2008
If you go to UT, take a class from Williams. She's very engaging and really gets some good discussions going. This book really does a good job of exploring how gender plays into the careers of people in "women's" professions. If you're a female social worker, librarian, or nurse, prepare to be depressed.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews