Normalizing Men as Caregivers Helps Families and Society (rwjf.org)

When we imagine a caregiver, we often picture a woman: a mother caring for young children, spouse, and the daily household chores, a daughter nursing a father with disabilities, or a female child care provider. Historically, women have been expected to serve as primary providers of “caretaking” work, whether it’s parenting or caring for an aging family member or paid work in positions typically associated with women such as child-care providers, nurses, or health aide. Alternativley, men are often expected to be the primary breadwinners and play less of a role in the emotional or physical caretaking of a family. And men in caregiving professions that are most often fulfilled by women (e.g., nursing, child care) are often seen as the exception. While the role of women as caregivers may have been true for much of history, gender roles and intergenerational dynamics are shifting and as Ai-jen Poo, director of Caring Across Generations, notes ‘continuing to associate caregiving with one gender does more harm than good.’

Here is the reality: before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, men have been significant providers of care work, both within their families and in their careers. In fact, men actively contribute to the care economy. This is good for them—but, just as importantly, it benefits women and society broadly.

A series of reports produced by the New America Foundation and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examine caregiving experiences of nearly 3,000 men as fathers, as caregivers to relatives, and in their professional careers. The goal is to understand men’s attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, desires, and motivations around caregiving. The most recent reports are:

• Providing Care Changes Men

• A Portrait of Caring Black Men

• Professional Caregiving Men find Meaning and Pride in their Work, But Face Stigma

Key findings reveal the importance of creating necessary conditions and supports that allow men to fulfill their roles as caregivers for their families. The findings also demonstrate the need for debunking societal stereotypes within caregiving professions—typically occupied by women—and significant policy and systems change such as expanding paid leave and eliminating traditional cultural norms related to men’s role in society.

Caregiving Encourages Men to Bond With Children, Family