Being Male in Female Spaces: Perceptions of Masculinity Amongst Male Social Work Students on a Qualifying Course
Being Male in Female Spaces: Perceptions of Masculinity Amongst Male Social Work Students on a Qualifying Course

Summary/Abstract: There is a lack of men in social work and social work education in many countries in the world. This numerical asymmetry unsettles the status and gendered association of social work, its meanings for society, and questions of care, nurture and emotional support, alongside questions concerning the slippery and layered concept of masculinities in contemporary society. This paper explores the perceptions and interpretations of masculinities of past and present male undergraduate students at a UK university – vibrating between positions of marginalisation and privilege – and some of the ways in which male students perceived they are construed in social work education and practice. It builds upon our previous work (Parker and Ashencaen Crabtree, 2012) and some of the implications for the ways in which we understand masculinities in the context of care are developed.

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