Fun Guy and Possible Perpetrator: An Interview Study of How Men Are Positioned within Early Childhood Education and Care

Many countries call for more men to be teachers in early childhood education and care (ECEC). In Sweden, the issue has been discussed since the early 1970s, but despite these discussions there is little Swedish research that examines the notions and expectations associated with male teachers. International research has found that perceptions of men in ECEC can be very ambivalent and that physical contact between the male educator and children is a sensitive issue. By focusing on the interaction between educators and children, the purpose of this study is to investigate gender-specific beliefs about male preschool teachers. The empirical material consists of interviews with 50 informants. Of these, 17 are men and 33 are women. The results show that "the fun guy" and "the possible perpetrator" are two gender-specific positions that male informants are subjected to. The article discusses how men take up and resist the two positions, and argues for the need to further challenge gendered stereotypes in preschools.