Are caregivers looked for? Strategies for hiring men in paid care jobs for adults

Abstract

In this article, we present some results from an investigation into the participation of men in the paid care of dependent adults in Catalonia. In recent years, the increased need for long-term care has led to the growing institutionalisation and recognition of this work. To meet care needs, various services have been provided by social and comercial organisations, but the financial crisis and austerity policies have harmed the redistribution of care provision by reducing public spending and prolonging care by the family. At the same time, wide spread unemployment caused by the financial crisis has increased the number of male carers, although they are still a minority. We analyse the strategies used by organisations to recruit men and the extent to which this situation could be the result of social policies designed to change (or not) the gender balance in these types of job. Our methodology is based on the qualitative analysis of interviews with care managers and observations in different public and private services.