Socialization Interactions as Sites for Identity Work: How Male Caring Professionals Negotiate Gender and Occupational Identity in Recruitment Messages

This study examines how men in caring professions (i.e. social work and elementary education) craft socialization messages to recruit others and, simultaneously, engage in identity work by sharing messages that perpetuate or deviate from stereotypical perceptions of gender and occupational expectations in the workplace, if at all. An analysis of 30 interviews with male social work professionals and elementary school teachers revealed that participants primarily relied on occupational identity, job characteristics, and norms, rather than on gender identity, to shape their messages. Whereas many studies about socialization often identify gender as an important component, our findings illustrate how men in these professions deprioritize gender and choose to rely more on occupational characteristics when constructing messages. The analysis offers valuable theoretical insights into the anticipatory socialization process for potential caring professionals and the identity work process for employees as they attempt to recruit others.