GAY MEN IN NURSING THE COSTS OF FEMINORMATIVITY & HETERONORMATIVITY. Michel L. Huggins, EdD MSN APRN Bellarmine University Louisville, Kentucky

Transcription

1 GAY MEN IN NURSING THE COSTS OF FEMINORMATIVITY & HETERONORMATIVITY Michel L. Huggins, EdD MSN APRN Bellarmine University Louisville, Kentucky

2 WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I TALK ABOUT THIS? Growing interest in nursing history the nursing cap conversation around me Ahistorical view of nursing disturbs me The outreach to men seems directed at only some men Johnson & Johnson publicity of nursing Increase in Accelerated nursing programs Continued pressure to meet demands of future nursing professionals I have been in nursing since 1985, and a nursing educator since 1999 there have been many changes, and not so many changes

3 SOME CONCERNS The percentage of men in nursing has hardly increased There is no clear discussion of gender preference in nursing academia (even though DADT is now dead) There is growing concern about socialization and formation of nurses into the profession But no discussion of the burden of gender in nursing Males continue to be largely invisible as nursing role models These things don t make sense to me

4 DEFINING SOME TERMS Feminormativity An unspoken, foundational attitude that sees feminine identity as normative Heteronormativity An unspoken, foundational attitude that sees heterosexual identity as normative Both of these are pre-conscious/unconscious

5 QUESTIONS What are the effects of these phenomena on the man in the nursing profession On the gay man who is a nurse, or who is considering nursing as a profession?

6 ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONCEPT The sociological construct: The Stranger This construct is: Primal Exclusionary Unconsciously operative Resistant to change and defies rationality Gives dominance permission to express power Source: Bauman, Z. (1988). Strangers: The social construction of universality and particularity. Telos, 78: 7-42

7 FEMINORMATIVITY IN NURSING Publicly celebrates the feminine as normative Is not clear about historical roots of this Resistive to discussions about the effects of gender and gender stereotypes upon nursing Is equivocal about the power and vulnerability of the feminine Source: Keogh & O Lynn (2007). Male nurses experience of gender behaviors. Nurse Educator 12(6),

8 NURSING ALSO Accepts grudgingly males But they must be heterosexual, even while they are widely assumed to be homosexual And they must have socially defined, acceptable roles muscle Denies publicly That males embody the essentially feminine core nursing values If/when males claim these values, a judgment is made that males violate the social compact and therefore must be homosexual Source: Keogh & O Lynn (2007). Male nurses experience of gender barriers. Nurse Educator 12(6),

9 SOME INITIAL OBSERVATIONS 1. Both feminormativity and heteronormativity place the gay male who is a nurse or the gay male nursing student (male or female) in the role of the Stranger/Other 2. Professional bonds appear ineffective to overcome the essential separation into us and them 3. Even heterosexual males are labeled gay and endure exclusion and as a result, isolate other gay nurses 4. Gay is equated with sexual predation and is heavily stigmatized Source: Harding, T. (2007). The construction of men who are nurses as gay. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 60(6),

10 STIGMA The cost that strangers must pay to live among people not like themselves Stigma is a complex process of identifying the other and erecting structures to prevent that person or group from contaminating the group in power Earnshaw, V. A., & Chaudoir, S. R. (2009). From conceptualizing to measuring HIV stigma: A review of HIV stigma mechanism measures. AIDS and Behavior, 13,

11 STIGMA Essential components: 1. Social selection & labeling 2. Stereotyping 3. Enforced separation between the in-group and the outgroup The creation of ghetto 4. Denigration 5. Loss of power Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of a spoiled identity.new York: Simon and Schuster, Inc. 1. Self-stigma 2. Surveillance

12 HOWEVER What are the connections among feminormativity, heteronormativity, and stigma? Is it accurate to claim that feminormativity and heteronormativity are operative in nursing? And that departures from these norms will lead to the punishment of stigma? And that gay men in the nursing profession suffer from this exclusion? And that even heterosexual males in nursing suffer, too?

13 COULD IT BE that the claims of feminormativity are true? that the charge against men in nursing is true? that we have different values?

14 SOME EVIDENCE: NURSING VALUES CPNVs Altruism Autonomy Human Dignity Integrity Social Justice Do not all nurses embody these? Source: AACN, 1998

15 CPNV S TODAY 2008 study of hospital RNs Situated in Israel n=323 82% female Instrument: Rokeach values survey Assesses 36 personal values 18 Terminal Values (goals of life) 18 Instrumental Values (preferred behaviors)

16 RESULTS: TERMINAL VALUES (GOALS IN LIFE) 1. Family security 2. Happiness 3. A sense of accomplishment 4. A world of peace 5. Self-respect 6. Economic security 7. Wisdom 8. A stimulating, active life 9. Freedom 10. Mature love (sexual & spiritual) 11. True friendship 12. A life of comfort & prosperity 13. National security 14. Achievement of excellence 15. Equality of all peoples 16. Social recognition 17. A world of beauty 18. Salvation (eternal life)

17 RESULTS: INSTRUMENTAL VALUES (PREFERRED BEHAVIORS) 1. Honest 2. Responsible 3. Intellectual 4. Loving 5. Independent 6. Self-controlled 7. Logical 8. Broad-minded 9. Cheerful 10. Helpful 11. Capable 12. Forgiving 13. Polite 14. Ambitious 15. Courageous 16. Imaginative 17. Clean 18. Obedient Source: Passin, M. (2008). Nurses professional & personal values. Nursing Ethics, 15(5).

18 IN THIS STUDY What did the author find as differences between males and females? There were no differences Why is this important? One of the central arguments of feminormativity is that only women can express the core values of nursing Males who attempt to do so are inauthentic, and worse: something must be wrong with them This is a dominant theme in historical nursing literature, & enacted by some countries into law

19 SOME HISTORY Indicates that the presumed values of men and women could not help but be different This is a recent invention, however Crimean War & Nightingale ( ) World War II Source: Mahon & Cowman (2003). The male nurse: A historical and contemporary analysis of the literature. All Ireland Journal of Nurse Midwifery, 2(10), What does current research tell us? Sparse! Tends to focus on one part of the population No funding sources

20 JUST HOW MALE ARE MALE NURSES? Study of males nursing professionals in Ireland Short form Bem Sex-Role Inventory n=104 results: 78 respondents identified more with feminine than masculine gender roles. Five were equivocal. Conclusions? Follow up interviews: professional survival and professional power required the adoption of traditionally feminine gender characteristics In other words, negating the stranger & reducing the effects of stigma by attempting to become part of the in-group Source: Loughrey, M. (2008). Just how male are male nurses? Journal of Clinical Nursing 17,

21 HOW DOES NURSING ACTUALIZE FEMINORMATIVITY AND HETERONORMATIVITY? Emphasizes traditional masculine values of independence and power We Can Do It! Campaign Even while celebrating the angel of mercy image Enforces traditional heterosexual boundaries upon males in nursing ignoring any evidence to the contrary, assumes that males in nursing are gay Source: Rohdahl, G. (2006). Heterosexual assumptions in verbal and nonverbal communication in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 56(4),

22 HASN T NURSING REACHED OUT TO MALES? Emphasizing that real men are nurses, too Effect of Oklahoma & Canadian nursing calendars What are some effects of these campaigns? Drives a wedge between gay and straight males in nursing Reinforces heterosexism and stigma Reaffirms stereotype of gay men as sexual predators Enforces isolation of both gay and straight males in nursing Ultimately, creates a greater confusion of gender expectation, of what may be expected as males gay and straight live the profession of nursing Source: Whittock M. (2003). Stepping outside the stereotype: A pilot survey of the motivations and experiences of males in the nursing profession. Journal of Nursing Management 11,

23 ARE THESE EFFORTS ENOUGH TO ENCOURAGE MALES IN NURSING? NO: Generally the depictions are of hyper-masculine males This may be seen as a reaction to the widely-held (stigmatized) view that men in nursing must be gay And that gay males are of course not masculine What data exist about gay males in nursing? Williams Institute, 2010 Census Could there be a better response? One that encourages all males toward nursing, gay and straight? One that is not divisive?

24 SOME FUNDAMENTAL OBSERVATIONS Be aware that nursing has been heavily sexualized And remain aware of the effects of this: Feminine is currently the norm Suspicion of males in nursing is the norm Suspicion of sexuality of males in nursing is the norm (even by males themselves) There is enactment of stigma toward males in nursing (~44% respondents in 2007 MIN survey)

25 AND A divide and conquer approach of feminormativity leads to the increased hypermasculinization of males in nursing Straight males want to avoid being labeled as gay Straight males want to avoid the stigma that goes with that label Straight males want to avoid the sexual predator status assigned to gay males If labeling and stereotyping behaviors are effective, the entire burden of stigma is attached to the gay nursing professional Source: Burnett, M. Men At Work. Men in Nursing, August 2007.

26 SO WHAT DO THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES SHOW US? The percentage of males in nursing is not increasing The image of nurse should be genderless But it remains heavily sexualized Nursing continues to eat its young Nurses are leaving the profession at a much younger age than ever Implications for nursing shortage? Nursing education continues to be fractured And almost never acknowledges gender struggles within nursing

27 SOME EFFECTIVE RESPONSES Recognize the feminormative nature of nursing even while we refuse to allow nursing to be owned by any gender Recognize that nursing values are universal and genderless Understand the power of gender expectation Refuse to participate in stigmatizing behaviors even against ourselves Recommend nursing to others: this is a powerful message See the value & strength that all nursing students and nurses LGBT and straight bring to the profession Get an advanced degree and own nursing!

28 Questions? Thoughts?