The life-course of male nursery school workers: the men who got over the gender-based barrier

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This study focuses on male nursery school workers, who are in the overwhelming minority. Through a questionnaire, research and interviews their careers were investigated and gender-based aspects such as the process of shaping one's life and turning points were researched.The first year of this study was devoted to preparation. In the second year those who work in public nursery schools in the 23 wards of Tokyo were interviewed and in the third year we researched those who work in private nursery schools in those same 23 wards. The data base connecting the two includes information on 280 people.Data was collected focusing on various points of one's life such as taking up a career as a nursery school worker, one's position there, what one did before that, one's family circumstances upbringing, and marriage experience, all of which was done in person where it was possible to hold interview. In the interview, the subject of recent kindergarten・nursery school unification or the privatization of management was also taken up.As a result of analysis by different generations, it was shown that young men have different ideas about their occupation compared to older men. It was also shown that young men tend to have more opportunities to work in nursery schools as volunteers or part-timers in comparison with older men. Moreover, in the case of men, in comparison with women, a complicated process of change (from one thing to another) was involved until one settled on becoming a nursery school worker and it was revealed how this process influenced their present occupational life. Furthermore, it was possible to deepen our understanding about various differences and common features between public and private nursery schools.