Dr. sc. Marija Geiger Zeman i dr. sc. Zdenko Zeman na konferenciji SIforAGE

Dr. sc. Zdenko Zeman i dr. sc. Marija Geiger Zeman sudjelovali su sa izlaganjem na međunarodnoj znanstvenoj konferenciji The SIforAGE – Social Innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing održanoj od 19.-21. listopada 2016. godine u Barceloni. Riječ je o završnoj konferenciji FP7 projekta SIfor AGE – Social Innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing for Sustainable Economic Growth. Detaljnije informacije o konferenciji: http://siforageconference2016.eu – Sažetak izlaganja

– Međunarodna znanstvena konferencija The SIforAGE – Social Innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing; Barcelona, 19.-21. listopada 2016.
– BOOK OF ABSTRACTS – SIforAGE
– PANEL DETAILS – SIforAGE
– FULL PROGRAMME – SIforAGE

 
Sažetak izlaganja

Culture or Nature? Who Gives Care? Gender Aspects of Professional Care for Older Persons

Zdenko Zeman, and Marija Geiger-Zeman
Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar
(Zagreb, Croatia)

According to official statistics in Croatia in domain of health and social care, noticeable gender misbalance is evident and it repeatedly raises questions about gendered aspects of care work, gender roles, and gender identities in general. Care-work is a socio-cultural construct and gendered activity dominantly perceived as women’s work (Harrington Meyer, et al., 2000). Many studies have confirmed the existence of multiple and complex relations between the traditional household division of labour and the gender division in occupational areas in the labour market. Care-work is physically and emotionally very demanding, but mainly devalued and a less-respected job.

Significant gender asymmetry is visible in the structure of employees in four homes for older and infirm persons that participated in a research project that looked into socio-cultural and gender aspects of ageing in Croatia. This presentation is based on an analysis of experiences and interpretations of gender aspects of care for older persons from the perspectives of professionals (physiotherapists and, mainly, social workers) and older persons in four homes for elderly and infirm persons in two Croatian cities, Zagreb and Split. Meanings and interpretations are developed from two basic lines of argumentation:

1. The traditional (or essentialist) argument that gendered aspects of care-work are perceived as a ‘natural’ fact.

2. The cultural interpretation that gender differences derive from the traditional and asymmetrical patriarchal relations in society.

Comparison between care professionals’ and older persons’ perspectives and interpretations displays dominant presence of traditional gender conceptions, gender expectations, and gender roles.

Keywords: care-work; gendered division of labour; old people’s homes, Croatia, gender roles

>>> Projekt: Ageism – a multi-national, interdisciplinary perspective (COST-ISCH Action IS1402)

>>> Projekt: Reducing old-age social exclusion: collaborations in research and policy (ROSEnet) (COST ACTION CA 15122)