Male teachers in Shanghai public kindergartens: a phenomenological study

Abstract

Using theories on gendered organizations and masculinities as a conceptual framework, this study explores the experiences of men who teach kindergarten in China. The findings illuminate the simultaneous struggles and privilege the men experience as well as the challenges of deconstructing gendered roles associated with social and professional expectations. Such deconstruction requires both a shared awareness of the need for change and the desire to make these changes. In societies where gendered roles are deeply embedded in social norms, change will likely be slow to emerge.