Early Childhood Educators who are Men: Their Perceptions and Discourses on Their Lived Work Experiences

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) field has traditionally been considered a single-sex occupation, identified as a field that is inherent to the female gender. This study sought to understand how Canadian ECEs who are men (cisgender and transgender) and non-binary believe they are being perceived in the profession. Attitudes and stigmas that this group identify as barriers in the classroom as well as the role that their gender may have on their careers were explored. Using a phenomenological design model, data were gathered through individual one-on-one semi-structured interviews. From these interviews, five main themes emerged: feelings of isolation; the reinforcement of gender norms in the workplace, barriers to inclusion; stigmatization associated with working in a gendered profession; and the pressure felt as a man to be the principal wage earner. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for the field and areas for further study.