The following question is a top UK university coursework question from 2 years ago, can you answer it?

Critically assess the role of the development of the medical and nursing professions with regard to the current evidence for gender inequalities in health work

if you read whats on the reading list i think most people could answer it. whether you'd actually get a decent mark or not is another question entirely.

I presume it means that women look much better in nurses uniforms than men do.

I think it is unfair that the nursing professions are still viewed by some as being a field that is wide open for women yet while allowing men to get into it have insisted upon making a distinction in them by calling them not nurses but Male Nurses. You do not see that in the medical field for doctors ie female Doctor Linda for example. it is just Doctor Linda. This is clearly a violation of their rights and dignity. The devolopment of the medical field is clearly keeping up with the times while the nursing profession needs to attempt to become politacally correct.

Most nurses are birds and most surgeons are blokes. That's just unfair isn't it?

A+* Grade

I suppose essentially you would answer it that because of the large percentage of females in nursing, it has become an undervalued job, much like teaching.

If I'd done the course I suppose I'd give it a bash.

Would probably start by explaining the stereotypical role of female nurses and male doctors. With some backing that this was the case of yesteryear. Perhaps give some sociological reasoning behind this probably femininist theory to how females where held back in education and the developement of stereotypical job roles, throughout the education system. Perhaps contrast feminism with a Physilogical theory that women have smaller brains therefore less capable and Positive theories thats suggest women are more capable of emotional care (therefore leading to nurses) and men more practical (leading to being doctors)

Then would explain a changing (if one exists) where there are more female doctors and more male nurse than there was. Would look at changing factors such as more access to higher education for all. Also post modern theory which suggests that gender roles are breaking down. Would investigate any policy changes within the system which could account for this.

Finally would conclude that there probably still is gender inequalities and they would pobably never go away for ever.

This is only a vague outline of how I would tackle the question but if I got it in an exam hopefully I would have been prepared for it.

If you have not studied well on this one then its impossible to answer on here.
1 CRITICAL ASSESSMENT= argue the points
2Gender inequalities in health work= I did not realise there were any.(my view)
p.s. the wordS ROLE OF THE DEVELOPMENT is what has to be answered.
p.s.
Why did you put this question up on here.....is it because you cannot, or did not understand the question.....was it too hard or did you think it was too hard at the time?......Do you NEED to get someone on here to save you the trouble of finding out?

There are more male doctors than female ones. And there are more female nurses than male ones. Do I get a degree now?

Interesting question, since the medical profession was historically a male occupation and nursing a female one. Clearly much has changed since the days of barber surgeons and Florence Nightingale, with the result that now both sexes are commonplace in both professions (psychiatric nursing has always had a large male contingent). Has this necessarily resulted in equal opportunities within each profession? The answer to that would depend upon the status of each sex within each professional hierachy and whether or not there exists a gender based 'glass ceiling' influencing promotion prospects in either profession?
It seems to me that there are are number of important variables at play in such an analysis. One would be the difference (if any) between private and public health care sectors with regard to gender inequalities. Other important factors would include the pay and conditions of males and females within each profession and the opportunities for advancement. Another variable would be the evolution of medical and nursing specialisms comparing for example obstetrics and midwifery with each other and lets say psychiatry and mental health nursing within a wider view of 'health work'. If it can be demonstrated that gender inequalities appear to exist within each specialism and between different specialisms we may have an answer to the question. Thats my best shot off the top of my head, I hope candidates were given a lot of time to grapple with such a complex and interesting question

still to be bridged

there are still gender inequalities in the health care professions but new government policies are addressing this problem. Nurses are not referred to as male/female nurses by their colleagues but are called by their first names. the majority of nurses are females and doctors are male. this seems to stem from the education system with males doing better in sciences and maths. the inequalities seem to stem from a class system whereby males entering caring professions are viewed by the public as being gay or having female tendencies. females are viewed as the care givers/ child rearers etc. many men would like to cross this barrier but are affraid of public opinion. where it is acceptable in the public view that males should enter medicine at higher levels because they are thought of as being more dominant and able to make decisions with an unemotional attachment. of course this isnt the case males and females are equally capable of fufilling both roles and many want to but face difficulties from the public not neccessarily the medical profession itself. for example male nurses are frequently accused of acting inappropriately by confused female patients when they are doing the same intimate proceedure as a female nurse. the same situation rarely occurs between male patient and female nurse. the problem seems to stem from stereotypical views of an uninformed public. i could go on...but it is interesting to see how many males are entering into mental health nursing...do they retain their male image within a more threatening environment????

yes, it's a killer innit

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Didn't do the reading, sorry; didn't come across it at Aberdeen. It must have made quite an impression on you!