ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240018
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Workplace
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: R.A. ZALDIVAR KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
As a former manager at the exclusive Watergate Apartments here, John Hartman glimpsed the lives of the lofty - senators, a Supreme Court justice, an aspiring presidential candidate.
As a new elementary school teacher near St. Louis, he's led 10-year-olds on a hunt for the remains of a giant Ferris wheel, relying on magnetometer readings, the lure of mystery and the marvel of imagination.
Hartman's reward for switching careers: ``Whenever a kid says, `I get it,' and they smile.''
Men like Hartman are an exception in the American workplace. After more than two decades of changing attitudes about gender, women have moved into ``men's work.'' But it's still rare to find men in ``women's jobs'' such as elementary school teacher (84 percent women) or nurse (93 percent women).
The nation's service-based economy is creating fewer ``men's jobs'' on the assembly line, while opportunities are expanding in fields traditionally dominated by women. In the future, willingness to do ``women's work'' may be the key to economic security for more men.
Lower pay often discouraged men from entering jobs associated with women. But that's changing. Pay in many ``women's jobs'' has improved. Yet men seem reluctant to make a move.
``There are psychological as well as economic barriers to men in predominantly female jobs,'' said Christine Williams, a University of Texas sociologist who has written on the subject. ``Many men define their masculinity through their employment. It's much harder for a man to do women's jobs than it is the opposite way around.''
Women fly military aircraft, run companies, ride police horses. But a male kindergarten teacher still makes some people squeamish.
``Think of the connotation of sissy versus the connotation of tomboy,'' said Paula England, a sociology professor at the University of Arizona.
Beyond the stereotypes, however, there are some unexpected benefits for men who go into predominantly female fields. For instance:
* Studies by Williams and others have shown that men don't get the hazing women endure for crossing the gender line. Women tend to welcome men in their fields. What's more, men in traditionally female jobs get promoted faster, partly because female co-workers may want a man to represent them. ``Instead of a glass ceiling, they encounter a glass escalator,'' Williams said.
* Employment in traditionally female fields has become a better economic bargain. For example, many jobs in health care offer security, mobility and good pay. Compare median weekly earnings of $524 for lab technicians (72 percent female), to $466 for auto mechanics (99 percent male) or $329 for security guards (84 percent male.) Physical therapy - a health career that has seen an influx of men - offers the opportunity for self-employment.
* It's an unintended consequence, but the increase in single-mother families has improved the status and employment prospects for men in education. ``Kids are hungry for male role models,'' said Jamie Horwitz, a spokesman for the American Federation of Teachers. ``So many children have grown up in households with only the mother present.'' Male elementary school teachers, counselors and teacher's aides are in high demand.
Elementary school teacher Hartman, who works in an enrichment program at the Ralph M. Captain School in suburban Clayton, Mo., said gender issues were not a concern when he decided to leave property management. He wanted to make a difference in the world. ``I'm a little idealistic,'' explained the 40-year-old Hartman.
At the Watergate, Hartman could never have taken a bunch of kids on a hunt for a Ferris wheel. He and his students believe they've found the most likely location of the missing axle of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair Ferris wheel. (It's under a golf course near the school.)
Hartman has no regrets, although he took a modest pay cut. ``It feels a lot better,'' he said.
Does fear of being perceived as unmasculine keep men out of elementary education?
Hartman is not so sure masculinity is the issue. He says there's a natural hesitancy to be the one who doesn't fit in. ``It's as if you were going to get on a crowded elevator, and everyone else was different,'' said Hartman. ``You would feel a little uncomfortable.''
LENGTH: Medium: 79 linesby CNB