TPC-Journal-V6-Issue2

The Professional Counselor /Volume 6, Issue 2 113 of impropriety, “I structure my individual interaction with students to avoid the appearance of impropriety,” was further explored. The qualitative themes of isolation and discrimination were matched to two items: “I feel isolated in my faculty because I am male,” and “I feel discriminated against by faculty members because I am male.” Although most respondents did not agree with these final two statements, we chose to explore them further due to the distinct voices of some respondents related to ethnicity and sexual orientation within the data. Table 2 Themes Related to Male Counselor Educators’ Experiences Theme Definition Freq. Responses Sample Statements Modify Behavior Intentional changes in action or interpersonal expression related to being male 32% 115 “. . . crucial to make sure distinct boundaries are established” “. . . have to focus on being appropriately relational” “must balance being supportive with providing clear boundaries” No Difference No unique challenges in counselor education related to being male 23% 82 “No specific challenges related to my gender” “Ethics are ethics, male or female” “How I act has little to do with being male” Awareness Indicating awareness or self- awareness regarding professional relationships 13% 47 “. . . we need to be very aware of situations and interactions with female students” “Know one’s self” “I am now more aware of how I interact” Isolated or Lonely Experiencing lack of support and awareness of being a minority in profession 11% 39 “I feel a bit like an endangered species” “There are simply some things I can only talk with other men about” “I recognize males are a minority in the field” Sexual Attraction Experiences of sexual attraction in professional relationships 11% 38 “Dealing with feelings of attraction with students and colleagues” “I am attracted to female students but do not act on it” “I have to refocus my thoughts if I feel an attraction to a student or colleague” Perception of Impropriety Attention to the perception of others regarding appropriate behavior 10% 37 “. . . don’t want to give the impression of being unethical” “Avoiding any appearance of misconduct” “. . . vigilant in protecting myself from false accusations” Awareness of Power Difference Awareness of the impact of privilege and power in relationships 10% 35 “Being aware of my male privilege and not abusing it” “I can be male without being dominating” “I do see the same gender politics and gender roles in my profession as I see in society…” Prejudice or Discrimination Experiences of negative or devaluing beliefs or actions of others related to being male 9.5% 34 “tendency to view males as the victimizer” “. . . uniquely male issues that could arise in counseling situations are downplayed” “I sometimes experience sexism against men in the comments of my female colleagues” Caring or Safe Environment Intention to provide support and safety to students 6% 21 “We want to provide a caring environment” “I want students to feel comfortable around me.” “. . . do not want any female to feel anxious” Ethnicity or Orientation as Part of Identity Influences of ethnicity and sexual identity upon male professional experiences 4% 15 “Being a male and an ethnic minority is challenging and often lonely” “. . . being Black and male is more of a challenge than being male alone” “I feel isolated not because I am male but because I am a gay male” Note: Frequency = Number of participants who shared theme-related statements