The global care economy—comprising unpaid family care, community volunteering, and paid roles in education, health, and social services—is vital to societal well-being, yet remains overwhelmingly female-dominated. Schmader and Block (2025) examine why men are underrepresented in caregiving roles despite little evidence of inherent ability differences. Their synthesis of social-psychological research identifies five key sociocultural barriers that discourage men’s engagement in care and offers pathways to greater gender balance (Schmader & Block, 2025).
First, enduring gender stereotypes portray men as naturally less caring than women. Surveys show that three-quarters of American adults explicitly believe women are more compassionate—a belief that has strengthened over the past five decades—even though perceptions of women’s lower competence have markedly declined (Schmader & Block, 2025). These stereotypes are reinforced by everyday experiences and media portrayals that link “care” with “women,” creating a self-perpetuating cycle that deters men from caregiving roles.
Second, while basic empathic abilities are similar across genders, women consistently display higher motivation to care. Experimental studies demonstrate that men underreport empathy when gender is salient, and modest gender gaps in empathic accuracy disappear when financial incentives are offered (Schmader & Block, 2025). This suggests that motivational factors, shaped by social context, rather than innate capacity, underlie divergent caregiving behaviors.
Third, early socialization teaches boys to view caring activities as feminine and potentially threatening to their masculinity. By age six, boys are less likely than girls to express communal values such as kindness, instead prioritizing traits like competitiveness (Schmader & Block, 2025). The cultural precariousness of masculinity—where any sign of femininity can invite social sanction—further discourages boys and men from identifying with care.
Fourth, paradoxically, highly developed, individualistic societies exhibit larger gender gaps in caregiving. Although such societies have made strides in women’s economic and political equality, horizontal segregation persists: women increasingly occupy higher-status roles yet remain concentrated in care-oriented fields (Schmader & Block, 2025). Economic structures that valorize individual achievement over collective harmony intensify stereotypes that care is a feminine domain.
Fifth, people do not perceive men’s low participation in care as a societal problem needing redress. While there is broad support for interventions to increase women’s representation in male-dominated fields, proactive efforts to attract men into care roles receive less backing—even when salary incentives are increased (Schmader & Block, 2025). This asymmetry reflects a devaluation of domains associated with femininity and perpetuates labor shortages in critical care sectors.
Recognizing these barriers matters because expanding men’s engagement in caregiving yields benefits at individual, familial, and societal levels. Men who care experience enhanced social and emotional well-being, and active fatherhood strengthens marital relationships and child outcomes. Moreover, attracting more men into care occupations could alleviate global shortages in nursing and teaching and support gender equality by redistributing unpaid domestic labor (Schmader & Block, 2025).
Schmader and Block (2025) propose three complementary strategies for change. First, challenge stereotypes through visible male care role models and media portrayals that depict caregiving as a human, not gendered, activity. Second, integrate socioemotional education—such as empathy-building programs—into early schooling to foster boys’ communal motivation. Third, match societal investments in men’s representation in care with those made for women in STEM, recognizing that achieving a critical mass of men in caregiving will begin to normalize and sustain change.
By elucidating how deeply rooted sociocultural factors shape men’s caregiving preferences, this work offers a roadmap for creating a more gender-balanced care economy—one that values caring as a universal human capacity rather than a feminine exception.
Reference
Schmader, T., & Block, K. (2025). Why do women care more & men couldn’t care less? Dædalus, 154(1), 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_02125
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