Just listening to a discussion on the radio about male nannies. The general feeling is that having men work with young children is a good thing. No argument there!
However, the reason given is not because men are 50% of the population and it's good for children to spend time with both men and women so they can start to see both sexes as equal. The reason is that 'men and women play differently' - men are more 'rough and tumble' and kids love that Oh and some boys are growing up without a man in the home and they need a male role model in order to develop normally and not grow up gay. Or something
I really do get sick of all this essentialism - men do this, women do that - in the same way as I can't stand people talking about how boys and girls are inherently different. I really think that putting people into boxes based on their biological sex is stifling and unfair - what happens to people who don't 'perform' in the way they are expected?
Any thoughts on this issue?
Feminism: Sex & gender discussions
Male nannies/childminders
Lottapianos · 07/09/2012 15:43
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