Abstract
This paper examines male caregivers, who have rarely been investigated in studies, and even then often in a negative way. The purpose is to explore the difficulties peculiar to men, as described by the male caregiver himself. First, following interviews, categories such as “men” and “husband / son” were identified. The men detailed the difficulties they faced in caregiving. The men's views on issues related to family caregiving were analyzed qualitatively through the framework of a gender model. Results indicated coexistence of work and caregiving, housework, physical contact while caregiving (e.g., giving a bath), and wanting to provide perfect caregiving as issues. Furthermore, the male caregivers' views on gender were seen to be the root of these issues. The study showed that while they took on the task of caregiving, they viewed it as a task for women.
