Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Non-Traditional Choices: The Construction Of Masculine Identity Among Male Nursing Students, Tim Mackellar

Theses

This purpose of this project was to examine the experiences of five male nursing students, to uncover the challenges involved with reconciling the perceived feminine nature of their occupation with the demands of a traditional masculine gender regime. The research was based within a social constructionist epistemological paradigm, employing a critical theory interpretation and grounded theory methodology. Conducted through semi-structured interviews, the participant’s accounts demonstrated the ways in which they modified, rejected and generally re-conceptualised dominant masculinities within the non-traditional setting. Their experiences were captured through three dominant themes; script assessment, self-authorship and authenticity. Emerging from these themes was a …