<p>The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the constructions and</p><p>interplay of gender, ethnicity and sexuality between female and male careworkers</p><p>and residents in a nursing home. To explore this from a qualitative</p><p>everyday life’s approach, material was collected through participating observations,</p><p>interviews, and informal conversation with careworkers and residents.</p><p>The result points out that historical patterns of gender and caring related</p><p>to this context still matter and affect both careworkers and residents. For</p><p>example, female careworkers talked about the concept of caring as a genuine</p><p>female experience, while male careworkers, who were in a minority, instead</p><p>talked about caring in more gender-neutral words. The result also indicates</p><p>that a larger number of male careworkers not necessarily leads to a higher</p><p>grade of gender equality. Instead, the presence of male careworkers made the</p><p>traditional gender-power order more visible.</p><p>When analyzing outcomes of the interplay of gender, ethnicity and sexuality,</p><p>it was obvious that this was a complicated process. On one hand this</p><p>interplay of different categories seemed to affect female and male careworkers</p><p>in a similar way. On the other hand the interplay of gender, ethnicity and</p><p>sexuality can confront female and male careworkers with different types of</p><p>dilemmas. Therefore, an attempt to understand the position and experience</p><p>of being a careworker with non-Swedish background or being a nonheterosexual</p><p>careworker must include a gender-perspective.</p><p>A main result from the study was that the careworkers supported the residents</p><p>to perform their social gender-identity through the daily interactions.</p><p>These interactions were foremost influenced by the careworkers’ own expectations</p><p>about older women’s and older men’s needs and behaviour. The four</p><p>gender-constellations that occurred in the care-interactions also differed</p><p>from each other with regard to what careworkers and residents talked about,</p><p>and how they talked and acted. Even if the outcome from different types of</p><p>gendered meetings differed, there were also some similarities. It was obvious</p><p>that both female and male careworkers seemed to think and talk about the</p><p>female residents as more dependent and vulnerable than male residents. To</p><p>conclude, traditional norms and a gender-power order that influences society</p><p>also affects careworkers and residents in the nursing home.</p><p> </p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:su-30482 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Storm, Palle |
| Publisher | Stockholm University, Department of Social Work |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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