The lack of men in early childhood development?

Question

My daughter is just getting into the Wiggles, at almost 14 months old. (For those who don't know, the Wiggles is an Australian group that does educational music/entertainment for toddler-age children.)

These guys met because they were the only men (out of hundreds) majoring in early childhood development at an Australian university.

Is the lack of men in a field like early childhood development or primary school education the result of stigma (it's not manly) or genuine disinterest?

Answer 1

Maybe both.  A long time ago I thought about being a teacher and went on an interview.  My now exwife told me not to do it because of all the Pedophilia charges being shown on tv.  She claimed it was too easy to be charged with false pedo charges.  Hey, she's paranoid...

When I was a photographer, I had to photograph one teacher (male) who was always giving hugs to the children.  I always wondered what happened to him.  It would of been so easy for someone to have ruined his career (charged him) even if he was innocent.  

Answer 2

Both you and Mystery lover make the relevant points.  I used to work in early childhood, and still work in primary schools.  All around me is the clamour of "we need more men" and at the same time we are treated with both suspicion and fear.

Answer 3

The guys in the Wiggles were smart because they knew there was more $$$ to be made doing a kids TV show then teaching preschool.

When I first watched the Wiggles with my kids, I was jealous and wished I had thought of it first. I can sing children's songs and dance wearing a bright colored costume. Good for them.

As important as early childhood education is, the money isn't there. My wife doubled her salary doing telemaketing sales in eleven months compared to one year of daycare.

Answer 4

It's not surprising that so few men want to work in that fields involving children when people automatically suspect them to be pedophiles. One misunderstanding can destroy their entire career. For a group of people who judge their worth by their financial success(men), it is a very risky move to go into such employment. Nobody wants their success crippled by criminal allegations that stay with you forever. There is no proven innocent. Like marriage, a career in early childhood development is becoming less and less attractive for men. You could lose it all.

Answer 5

That's a really good question.  While in college I worked part time at a daycare and out of the whole development center's history of operation we had only one man (young man) working there ( he went to school for early childhood development).  I think both the stigma and the way men are hardwired comes into play.

Answer 6

To be honest - when I was a bit younger, I considered the position of teacher. I then looked at society and how it was moving. Im not a sexual predator and I dont want to be thought of as one. As seems to happen to men with theri own family let alone with other peoples kids. I dont want to be treated like one either. If I get accused I would probably, and be fired  to keep up appearances, regardless of results. As has happened enough.

That would render working to get that career a bit pointless really.

Answer 7

My guess, some of both. It's likely that there are fewer men than women so genuinely taken with the young that it's the leading passion of their lives. But for those men who are, they are no doubt carefully taught by nearly everyone all their lives, that such a career is a chick thing.

As I say, this is my guesswork.

Interesting story you've shared. I'm in the US and had never heard of it. Sounds cool!

Answer 8

I remember one of your questions"why are all men rapists" that's why,because you ban men from stuff that have to do with kids but then you complain by saying that there are not enough men in the E.C.A or E.C.E  courses.

so give yourself a round of applaus for being such a hypocrite.

Answer 9

It is the stigma that men in this field are pedophiles for those that are interested. Other men aren't interested in working in early childhood development that doesn't involve research.  

Answer 10

I am afraid that men are very discriminated against in the field of early childhood development and/or primary education.  The stigma of the sexual predator has made it almost impossible for men to be accepted into these programs without a great deal of suspicion.  It is tantamount to a unwritten law, but it exists and is a strong discrimination point.

Answer 11

Most people don't trust men nearly as much as women with little kids, which explains the blatantly sexist rule that some airline has that a man can't sit next to a kid who's not his own, men taking pictures of their own kids to be accused of voyeurism by others, etc.  I think that has something to do with it as well.

There probably isn't quite as much interest with this among men as women-most men I know don't really care much to be around anyone's babies except their own, whereas most women seem to like all babies- but society does play a role in this.

Answer 12

I'm sure that is a factor but it is not merely that there is a stigma regarding whether or not it is manly; but also that people are less trusting of men in this role (ie. stereotypes of being paedophiles, homosexuals)... I think many people inherently distrust mens motives for entering this field, due to the lack of men who do so.