# Stereotypical Gender Occupations **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041 "2014-08-20T21:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/1 "2014-08-20T21:30:53Z")
Not wanting to hijack a similar thread, I have noticed that certain occupations are predominately male or female, but none, or very few, are 100% one gender or another… there is always the exception to the rule. However, in my almost 60 years on this planet I can’t remember ever seeing a male dental assistant/hygienist. I have seen both male and female nurses, male and female physician assistants and male and female radiation technicians, but only female dental assistants. I have asked around and nobody else has seen one either. (In fairness I have only had 3 different dentist in my lifetime, and perhaps there were male dental assistants/hygienists in the office, and I just never saw one.) I can’t think of any reason why there wouldn’t be male dental assistants/hygienists… there are certainly female dentists. Do they actually exist in the US somewhere, and why would males generally not go into that particular field? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/2 "2014-08-20T22:18:00Z")
Certain occupations have the reputation of being[pink-collar occupations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_collar), with dental assistants and hygienists being on that list(fwiw, my dentist’s office has 1 male assistant/hygienist), and many of those still have a much higher percentage of female vs. male workers, even for fields like nursing that have seen real growth in the number of men in the field. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/3 "2014-08-20T22:27:24Z")
A little googling found these statistics: Pct. male in 2000: 0.9% Pct. male in 2011: 2.7% That’s a pretty dramatic increase (3 times as many), but 3 times almost nothing is still a very small number. In addition to the “pink collar” reputation that **Lsura** mentioned, I also found an article stating that many dentists are reluctant to hire male Hygienists. > [@](#): > > ``` > “In our society, most patients still expect a female hygienist, so why rock the boat?” (Tennessee dentist) > “Public expectation dictates a female. I'd rather not be a trend setter.” (Texas dentist) > “With me being the only male in an office of 11 females (including one female dentist), it would be too confusing to many patients to employ a male hygienist.” (Pennsylvania dentist) > > ``` Rest of article here: [https://thewealthydentist.com/surveyresults/131-male-dental-hygienists.htm/](https://thewealthydentist.com/surveyresults/131-male-dental-hygienists.htm/) ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/4 "2014-08-21T00:10:43Z")
I’ve had two male dental assistants in 24 years of practice and probably on the order of 50 female ones. This in multiple office I’ve been in not just my own practice. Met one male hygienist. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/5 "2014-08-21T00:31:38Z")
I’ve never seen a woman framer, though there’s women who are finish carpenters. Never been a US President who has been a woman while in office. Couple of women have played minor league ice hockey. Midwives are all women I think. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/6 "2014-08-21T00:38:43Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > … > Couple of women have played minor league ice hockey. > … [Manon Rhéaume](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manon_Rh%C3%A9aume) > [@](#): > > In 1992 she tried out for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and was signed as a free agent. This was the first time a woman tried out for an NHL team or signed a pro-level hockey league contract. She played one period in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues, allowing two goals, and played in another exhibition game against the Boston Bruins in 1993. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/7 "2014-08-21T00:54:41Z")
Outside of one band in Japan, boy bands tend to be completely male. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/8 "2014-08-21T06:56:18Z")
I’ve never met a female lumberjack (Lumberjill?) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/9 "2014-08-21T09:03:54Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > I’ve never met a female lumberjack (Lumberjill?) They exist though: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1DjyS30Gc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1DjyS30Gc) Are there not anti discrimination laws in the USA like we have here? It would be illegal to not employ anyone just because “Public expectation dictates a female." ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/10 "2014-08-21T09:05:21Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > I’ve never seen a woman framer, though there’s women who are finish carpenters. > Midwives are all women I think. The senior midwife who led our anti natal classes was a guy. Looked and sounded just like Paul Heaton out of ‘the housemartins’. That’s in the uk. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/11 "2014-08-21T09:19:50Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > I’ve never met a female lumberjack (Lumberjill?) Let me introduce you to my cousins. Jeanie, there is someone who wants to meet you and Ruthie. Jeanie, Ruthie, this is Namkcalb. Namkcalb, these ladies are my cousins, Ruthie & Jeanie. OK Namkcalb, you have now met two Lumber Jills. Jeanie is one of the best fallers I know. She can put that tree where ever she wants it to go. Ruthie is the quickest choker-setter I have had the pleasure of working with. She flat smoked my butt! Jean’s husband, Frank, is in construction. Ruthie’s Boyfriend is a log truck driver. Both of these gals have been working in the woods for three and one half decades. Jeanie makes the best apple pies, she learned how from her mom. Both of them can cook! Oh man! IME, Logging is a man’s job. One has to be strong, agile, and smart to survive out there. Being able to think fast is a big plus, it may keep you alive. Ladies can, and do, work in the woods, but they are a serious minority when they do. Most fellas are willing to give them a chance. Just like any “Newbie” they will have to earn the trust and respect of their fellow workers. A newbie’s mistake can kill you, so trust is a major issue. Logging is hard, steady, dangerous work in a constantly changing environment. Most folks can not handle the stress and the strenuous physical labor, all this while keeping their head on a swivel, and thinking all the time about what can kill them. It ain’t easy. I think that there are so few “Lumber Jills”, because ladies generally are just smarter then men when it comes to dangerous jobs. I must add that the smoothest and gentlest Cat Skinners & Yarder Operators I ever worked with were ladies. Having eight sisters and many female cousins, has made my outlook on having ladies as coworkers very different from many of my male coworkers. As long as the gal can, and does do the job, I do not care about their gender. I do not care about their skin color, politics, religion, or sexual orientation either. I just want them to do their job, so I do not have to! ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/12 "2014-08-21T09:50:35Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Never been a US President who has been a woman while in office. Have any been a woman out of office? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/13 "2014-08-21T10:05:10Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > In addition to the “pink collar” reputation that **Lsura** mentioned, I also found an article stating that many dentists are reluctant to hire male Hygienists. > > > [@](#): > > > > “With me being the only male in an office of 11 females (including one female dentist), it would be too confusing to many patients to employ a male hygienist.” (Pennsylvania dentist) That’s hysterical, "too confusing’? Does he think that the minds of patients will overload when confronted with a male hygienist and they’ll go catatonic? ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/14 "2014-08-21T10:33:03Z")
You’ll probably find a number of male dental assistants in the military. I wonder if they continue their careers once they leave the service. The other day, I saw a male nail technician which I found unusual. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/15 "2014-08-21T10:56:52Z")
You don’t see many female train drivers. [The first female train driver on the scenic West Highland Line in Scotland](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11047664/Man-dies-in-front-of-train-driven-by-former-girlfriend-after-breakup.html) ran over her ex-boyfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/16 "2014-08-21T11:00:19Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Have any been a woman out of office? There was Edith Wilson… ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/17 "2014-08-21T14:01:24Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Outside of one band in Japan, boy bands tend to be completely male. I always thought Vengaboys had a surprisingly large number of girls. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/18 "2014-08-21T14:27:37Z")
So men generally don’t go into the dental assistant field, perhaps with the exception of the military, because there aren’t many men in that field? Seems like there should be a lot more than I have seen in my life. Maybe this will change in the future. Seeing basically the same bias against male nurses, there seem to be a lot more men going into that field. Of course nurses and physician assistants make a lot more money (I think) than dental assistants do, so perhaps that is a factor. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/19 "2014-08-21T14:27:39Z")
Well, one job that USED to be almost exclusively held by females is starting to change: nannies. Seriously, we’'ve now had 3 male caregivers for my son. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041/20 "2014-08-21T14:38:11Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > You don’t see many female train drivers. [The first female train driver on the scenic West Highland Line in Scotland](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11047664/Man-dies-in-front-of-train-driven-by-former-girlfriend-after-breakup.html) ran over her ex-boyfriend. It depends; in Chicago, I see very few women engineers or conductors/trainmen\* on Metra, the suburban/commuter trains, but plenty of women train operators on the L. And to bookend your story, one of the few female Metra engineers was targeted by her ex-husband who hired a crackhead to shoot at her train. :eek: 11 years in the pokey for that! [News story.](http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20100127/news/301279927/) My guess is that it’s not Metra discriminating but (1) like lumberjack, the qualifications favor strength (mainline engineers are often promotions/lateral moves from freight, where an engineer has physical tasks a transit operator doesn’t do herself) or (2) like dental technician where strength is not a factor, tradition causes the “unpreferred” gender to not consider the job and thus not even apply for the education or training. \*Train guard to Commonwealthers, and yes, a trainman’s hat badge reads TRAINMAN. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stereotypical-gender-occupations/696041.md?page=2)