The role of male caretakers and pre-school teachers for father involvement in ECEC

‘Children need men!’ This rallying cry is a common argument for father involvement in the family as well as in the context of strategies for more men in ECEC. In what way are these two issues linked? Based on international research on the issue, this paper asks what role male EC workers can have for the involvement of fathers in the work of ECEC institutions / pre-schools. A critical gender perspective is crucial for the understanding of these links. The relevance of fathers for children’s development in the early years is widely accepted nowadays. At the same time, institutional care for children remains a female-dominated field worldwide. However, in some countries, campaigns for more men in ECEC have showed some success, e.g. Norway and Germany. One of the arguments in such campaigns is that male practitioners can encourage father involvement in ECEC institutions. The connection between father involvement and men in ECEC was already present in European debates on men and childcare more than two decades ago. But what do we really know about the role of male workers for cooperation with fathers? This paper gives an international overview on studies on the issue, and connects their results to the realms of practice. Finally, arguments for a specific role for male ECEC professionals in approaching and supporting fathers are presented and critically discussed

The role of male caretakers and pre-school teachers for father involvement in ECEC

‘Children need men!’ This rallying cry is a common argument for father involvement in the family as well as in the context of strategies for more men in ECEC. In what way are these two issues linked? Based on international research on the issue, this paper asks what role male EC workers can have for the involvement of fathers in the work of ECEC institutions / pre-schools. A critical gender perspective is crucial for the understanding of these links. The relevance of fathers for children’s development in the early years is widely accepted nowadays. At the same time, institutional care for children remains a female-dominated field worldwide. However, in some countries, campaigns for more men in ECEC have showed some success, e.g. Norway and Germany. One of the arguments in such campaigns is that male practitioners can encourage father involvement in ECEC institutions. The connection between father involvement and men in ECEC was already present in European debates on men and childcare more than two decades ago. But what do we really know about the role of male workers for cooperation with fathers? This paper gives an international overview on studies on the issue, and connects their results to the realms of practice. Finally, arguments for a specific role for male ECEC professionals in approaching and supporting fathers are presented and critically discussed

Nema problema za muškarce u Njemačkoj

Tim Rohrmann opisuje kako se u Njemačkoj povećava broj muškaraca u ustanovama ranog i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja

Gender balance in ECEC : why is there s little progres?

Social attitudes about male participation in the upbringing of children have changed considerably over the past few decades. Men are now seen as important for children’s development and learning. Research from many countries worldwide shows that in early childhood care and education (ECEC), male workers are welcomed by female colleagues and parents. In the last two decades there have been initiatives for more men in ECEC in several European countries. Nevertheless the proportion of male workers ECEC remains low worldwide. This article questions the persisting gender imbalance in ECEC and analyzes ambivalences regarding more men in the field. Based on recent gender theory, efforts and limits of strategies for more male students and workers in ECEC in Belgium, Norway and Germany are discussed. It is concluded that deeply held gendered attitudes and practices in the field of care and educational work with young children have to be put into question. More space in ECEC for embodied subjectivities is needed to overcome essentialist conceptions of differences between body and mind, women and men

Obesity, inflammatory markers, and endometrial cancer risk: a prospective case–control study

Obesity, a major risk factor for endometrial cancer, is a low-grade inflammatory state characterized by elevated concentrations of cytokines and acute phase reactants. The current study had two aims: first to investigate the associations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL6), and IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1Ra) with endometrial cancer risk and second to examine to which extent these markers can influence the association between obesity and endometrial cancer. We conducted a case–control study, nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, which comprised 305 incident cases of endometrial cancer and 574 matched controls. CRP, IL6, and IL1Ra were measured in prospectively collected blood specimens by immunoassays. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. All statistical tests were two-sided, and P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. We observed a significant increase in risk of endometrial cancer with elevated levels of CRP (odds ratio (OR) for top versus bottom quartile: 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–2.41, Ptrend=0.02), IL6 (OR for top versus bottom quartile: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.08–2.54, Ptrend=0.008), and IL1Ra (OR for top versus bottom quartile: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.22–2.73, Ptrend=0.004). After adjustment for body mass index (BMI), the estimates were strongly reduced and became non-significant. The association between BMI and endometrial cancer was also substantially attenuated (∼10–20%) after adjustment for inflammatory markers, even when the effects of C-peptide or estrone had already been taken into account. We provided epidemiological evidence that chronic inflammation might mediate the association between obesity and endometrial cancer and that endometrial carcinogenesis could be promoted by an inflammatory milieu

Is alcohol consumption a risk factor for prostate cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Research on a possible causal association between alcohol consumption and risk of prostate cancer is inconclusive. Recent studies on associations between alcohol consumption and other health outcomes suggest these are influenced by drinker misclassification errors and other study quality characteristics. The influence of these factors on estimates of the relationship between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer has not been previously investigated. Methods: PubMed and Web of Science searches were made for case–control and cohort studies of alcohol consumption and prostate cancer morbidity and mortality (ICD–10: C61) up to December 2014. Studies were coded for drinker misclassification errors, quality of alcohol measures, extent of control for confounding and other study characteristics. Mixed models were used to estimate relative risk (RR) of morbidity or mortality from prostate cancer due to alcohol consumption with study level controls for selection bias and confounding. Results: A total of 340 studies were identified of which 27 satisfied inclusion criteria providing 126 estimates for different alcohol exposures. Adjusted RR estimates indicated a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer among low (RR = 1.08, P 1.3, <24 g per day). This relationship is stronger in the relatively few studies free of former drinker misclassification error. Given the high prevalence of prostate cancer in the developed world, the public health implications of these findings are significant. Prostate cancer may need to be incorporated into future estimates of the burden of disease alongside other cancers (e.g. breast, oesophagus, colon, liver) and be integrated into public health strategies for reducing alcohol related disease

European Code against Cancer 4th Edition:Diet and cancer

AbstractLifestyle factors, including diet, have long been recognised as potentially important determinants of cancer risk. In addition to the significant role diet plays in affecting body fatness, a risk factor for several cancers, experimental studies have indicated that diet may influence the cancer process in several ways. Prospective studies have shown that dietary patterns characterised by higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods, and lower intakes of red and processed meats and salt, are related to reduced risks of death and cancer, and that a healthy diet can improve overall survival after diagnosis of breast and colorectal cancers. There is evidence that high intakes of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancers of the aerodigestive tract, and the evidence that dietary fibre protects against colorectal cancer is convincing. Red and processed meats increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Diets rich in high-calorie foods, such as fatty and sugary foods, may lead to increased calorie intake, thereby promoting obesity and leading to an increased risk of cancer. There is some evidence that sugary drinks are related to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.Taking this evidence into account, the 4th edition of the European Code against Cancer recommends that people have a healthy diet to reduce their risk of cancer: they should eat plenty of whole grains, pulses, vegetables and fruits; limit high-calorie foods (foods high in sugar or fat); avoid sugary drinks and processed meat; and limit red meat and foods high in salt

Übergang Grundschule - Sekundarstufe I: Begabtenförderung am Übergang - Kooperation als Herausforderung. Ergebnisse eines Projektes in Sachsen

Die individuelle Förderung von Schülern mit besonderen Begabungen und die Gestaltung des Übergangs von der Grundschule zur weiterführenden Schule [stellen eine besondere Herausforderung dar]. Genau an der Schnittstelle dieser beiden Themen setzt das von 2007 bis 2009 in Sachsen durchgeführte Projekt an, von dem hier berichtet wird: Begabtenförderung am Übergang von der Grundschule zum Gymnasium – Kooperation als Herausforderung. (DIPF/Orig.

Mehr Männer in Kitas. Re-Stereotypisierung oder Chance für Geschlechtergerechtigkeit?

Der Autor berichtet über Hintergrund und Entwicklung des 2011 gestarteten BMBF-Programms \u27Mehr Männer in Kitas\u27. Die namengebende Forderung bezieht ihre Dringlichkeit teils aus dem in der Frühpädagogik mittlerweile entstandenen Fachkräftemangel, vor allem aber aus der Veränderung der Perspektive auf Jungen, die mittlerweile vielen als \u27Bildungsverlierer\u27 gelten. Die Erhöhung des Männeranteils in Kindertagesstätten kann somit in doppelter Hinsicht als Gebot der Chancengerechtigkeit erscheinen: Jungen brauchten (mehr) männliche Vorbilder, lautet die - in der Wissenschaft kontrovers diskutierte - These. Und Männern sollen Beschäftigungschancen in neuen Bereichen erschlossen werden. (HoF/Text übernommen

Männer in Kitas: Zwischen Idealisierung und Verdächtigung

Der Autor verweist in seinem Beitrag auf ein zentrales Spannungsverhältnis in der aktuellen Diskussion über Männer in Kindertageseinrichtungen. Auf der einen Seite werden männliche Erzieher in Kindertageseinrichtungen begrüßt, sie werden als Bereicherung angesehen und ihr ‚geschlechtsspezifischer‘ Beitrag zur frühkindlichen Bildung idealisiert. Wie der Autor hervorhebt, wird dieses ‚Andere‘, das Männer in die Kindererziehung einbringen sollen, dabei mit geschlechterstereotypen Erwartungen verknüpft. Männliche Erzieher können hier offenbar auf eine patriarchale Dividende (Connell) zurückgreifen, die ihnen in erster Linie qua Geschlecht und weniger qua Professionalität zuerkannt wird. Gleichzeitig werden männliche Erzieher als potentiell pädophile Täter unter einen ‚Generalverdacht‘ gestellt. Dieser Generalverdacht, so der Autor, verunsichert insbesondere Männer in der Phase der Berufsorientierung, der Berufsausbildung und des Berufseinstiegs. Als Bewältigungsstrategien macht der Autor zwei Muster aus: zum einen die Strategie der Neutralisierung, die mit einer Dethematisierung bzw. Entdramatisierung von Geschlechtsunterschieden einhergeht, zum anderen die Strategie der Resouveränisierung, bei der männliche Fachkräfte auf traditionelle Männlichkeitsmuster zurückgreifen. Hier versuchen männliche Erzieher in einer als weiblich wahrgenommenen Institution, den Anspruch männlicher Überlegenheit wieder herzustellen. Der Autor stellt mit seinem Beitrag somit die Widersprüche von Männlichkeitskonstruktionen in pädagogischen Institutionen heraus. (DIPF/Orig.