'Build me a male role model!' A critical exploration of the perceived qualities/characteristics of men in the early years (0-8) in England

Young boys' `underachievement' and their disaffection with learning continue to dominate education agendas [Francis, B. 2006. "Stop That Sex Drive." Times Educational Supplement 30; Peeters, J. 2007. "Including Men in Early Childhood Education: Insights from the European Experience." NZ Research in Early Childhood Education, 10. Accessed February 4, 2013. http://stop4-7.be/files/janpeeters10.pdf; Lloyd, T. 2009. Boys' Underachievement: What Schools Think and Do. A University of Ulster Research Project Funded by the Department of Education and Northern Ireland Office. November. Accessed January 10, 2014. http://www.socsci.ulster.ac.uk/sociology/research/y%20publications/Boys%20underachievementnn.pdf; Lloyd, T. 2011. Boys' Underachievement in Schools: Literature Review. Boys Development Project. Belfast: Centre for Young Men's Studies, Ulster University. Accessed February 4, 2013. http://www.boysdevelopmentproject.org.uk/downloads/reports/Boys%20and%20underachievement%20literature%20review%20edited%20in%20pdf.pdf]. In recent years, there has been an eruption of government policy making and public discourse in England [Moran, L. 2011. Quarter of All Primary Schools Have No Male Teachers Despite More Men Entering Profession. Daily Mail, September 2. Accessed February 4, 2013. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2032970/Quarter-primary-schools-NO-male-teachersdespite-men-entering-profession.html#ixzz2JwpQjSL8w;DfE(Department for Education). 2012b. Poor White Boys `Lagging Behind Classmates at Age Five'. The Telegraph, November 21. Accessed January 10, 2014. http://www. telegraph. co.uk/education/educationnews/9693409/Poor-white-boys-lagging-behind-class mates-at-age-five. html; PARITY. 2013. Is Action Overdue on Boys' Academic Underachievement? Briefing Paper, March. Accessed January 10, 2014. http://www. parity-uk.org/Briefing/BoysEducPaperRev1b.pdf] calling for more men to transform young lives by working in the 0-8 sector and acting as male role models in an attempt to narrow the `attainment gap'. This paper critically explores the perceived qualities/characteristics of men who seemingly serve as `male role models' by reporting on select doctoral research findings which sought to investigate the ambiguities of the male role model from the perspective of men who work in the 0-8 sector. Research participants were asked to identify the qualities/characteristics that they felt `male role models' should exhibit for young boys in the early years (0-8). The qualities/characteristics identified were categorised by research participants as being `masculine' (e. g. diplomatic), ` feminine' (e. g. caring) or ` natural' (meaning authentic). Whilst research evidence suggests that male role models will present a diverse range of personal and professional qualities/characteristics, it is argued that these are likely to be shaped by not only the needs and circumstances of the children that the `male role model' comes into contact with, but also the expectations of others, e. g. parents/ carers and staff. This paper argues that there is a real tension between those qualities/ characteristics of the male role model that are created as a result of their personality/ individual beliefs and those which are anticipated or enforced by others.