Sex discrimination is a known problem for women in the scientific and medical communities (Ceci & Williams, 2011; MacWilliams, et al., 2013). In my first life as a biologist I saw a field dominated by men where women were clawing their ways through the maze of publications and funding; they tried desperately to gain legitimacy as scientists. In 2004 I decided to become a nurse and the situation in nursing is the complete opposite. It is a profession dominated by women and not just at the bedside but at scientific conferences and in the achievement of funding, advanced training, tenure-track academic positions and nursing management positions (MacWilliams, et al., 2013). The predominance of women in nursing makes the profession ripe for a reversal of the sex discrimination with which we are most accustomed, called sexism. Sexism as defined by Kwantes, Bergeron and Kaushal (2012) refers to “…differential and often detrimental treatment of a person based on that person’s sex” (p. 331). According to Glick and Fiske (1996), sexism is multi-dimensional and is comprised of two subtypes: hostile and benevolent which combine to become ambivalent sexism. Glick and Fiske focused solely on the impact of sex discrimination on women and disregarded men completely. Yet, I believe these three types of sexism exist in nursing toward men. The purpose of this post will be to examine the types of sexism in the context of nursing.
Hostile sexism refers to the type of sexism with which most are likely familiar. Hostile sexism includes blatant negative attitudes and behaviors toward an individual based on gender (Kwantes, et al). In the nursing profession, men can sometimes be subjected to negative attitudes and anti-male comments by their female counterparts including female nurse educators (MacWilliams, et al., 2013). In fact, male nursing students report more exposure to sexism than males in other educational programs (Kermode, 2006).
Benevolent sexism may seem to be the most benign form yet it can have consequences for men in the nursing workplace. Benevolent sexism focuses on the manifestations of traditional gender stereotypes (Glick & Fiske, 1996). An example of benevolent sexism in nursing is the “feminine imagery” of nursing as reported by MacWilliams and colleagues (2013, p.40). In this context, the image of nursing favors a feminine model whereby nurses are caring, soothing and compassionate, qualities that are stereotypically assigned to females (MacWilliams, et al). This feminine ideal is reported as a barrier to men entering the field in particular (MacWilliams, et al).
The final type of sexism defined by Glick and Fiske (1996) is ambivalent sexism. Ambivalent sexism refers to the simultaneous expression of hostile and benevolent sexism. I believe an example of this in nursing is the simultaneously held beliefs that men are incapable of being tender and compassionate in the care of others while also believing men could not adequately function in a nursing role due to limited ability to multi-task (MacWilliams, et al., 2013).
Although the number of men in nursing continues to rise, there are still far fewer men in the profession and in the process of obtaining credentials to enter the profession (MacWilliams, et al, 2013). The goals defined by the Institute of Medicine include making the nursing workforce as diverse as the population it serves (MacWilliams, et al.). As the nursing shortage continues to grow, it is imperative that nursing take a good look at how it can solve the ongoing issues of sexism in the profession to make nursing a more attractive option to all regardless of sex. To do this, intervention development should focus on tailored approaches to address hostile, benevolent and ambivalent sexism.
There are certainly still some professions which are considered “Women’s Work” still, and Nursing is one of them. I believe I have witnessed a similar situation with idea of having a male receptionist. In my agency, we have a high percentage of females, and many in hiring positions. I have heard in the past year multiple instances of managers not interviewing qualified applicants for positions specifically because they are male. I think part of this may be that female supervisors do not see males as being able to function in lower end supporting positions in the department. I also think it partially could be due to the “similar to me” effect. When there is a department full of women, and they are hiring for a position, perhaps managers are looking for people who are more “like them”. The fact that there are women in charge of hiring, they are “finding” more female applicants.
Schneider, Gruman and Coutts. 2012. Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and
Addressing Social and Practical Problems. 2nd Edition.