Abstract

SIMOES, Joaquim  and  AMANCIO, Lígia. Gender and nursing: a study of the male minority. Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas [online]. 2004, n.44, pp.71-81. ISSN 0873-6529.

Focusing on men as a minority group in nursing, the main argument of this article is that their minority situation does not imply a disadvantaged position in the profession. Our argument is based on results emerging from research work that departed from the model of symbolic asymmetry in gender representations. As shown by our results, patients’ perceptions of the care provided by male nurses is not based on specific considerations of their sex, but rather on universal dimensions that apply to professionals in general. This research thus contributes to enhancing the relevance of approaching gender ideology when analyzing the social construction of nursing as a female profession.

Keywords : Gender; nursing; symbolic asymmetry; numerical minority.

        · abstract in Portuguese | French | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )