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Negotiating Masculinity in a Post-Socialist Society: The Case of Chinese Male Nurses

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Listed:
  • Anita Kit Wa Chan
  • Tevin Shuhan Fang

Abstract

Occupational gender inequalities are an important sociological concern. Studies on men in female-dominated occupations, such as nursing, have offered rich insights to advance our understanding of gender dynamics in contemporary society. However, current theoretical and empirical accounts have been mostly dominated by Westernized discussions. Utilizing insights from critical studies on men and masculinities, alongside Chinese masculinities studies, this article seeks to enrich the discourse by examining the working experiences of 12 Chinese male nurses in a city hospital. It identifies a culturally specific stigma faced by filial Chinese men. It unravels the masculinity strategies and gender capital, and their effects, used by Chinese male nurses to defend their ability and contributions. It reveals the difficulties and paradoxes arising when men negotiate new hegemonic masculine ideals in post-socialist China. This article provides a nuanced understanding of non-Western masculinities and insights into practices that have been used to sustain male dominance in female-dominated and emotionally demanding jobs.

Suggested Citation

  • Anita Kit Wa Chan & Tevin Shuhan Fang, 2023. "Negotiating Masculinity in a Post-Socialist Society: The Case of Chinese Male Nurses," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 28(2), pages 303-319, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:28:y:2023:i:2:p:303-319
    DOI: 10.1177/13607804211046970
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marci D. Cottingham, 2019. "The missing and needed male nurse: Discursive hybridization in professional nursing texts," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 197-213, March.
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