Gender and the nursing profession: Women, symbologies, behaviors and clothing in the mid-20th century

Abstract

The epistemological constructions about the female nurse and gender issues were established through their uniforms, behaviors and symbols present in their profession and in the relationship with the fashion universe, where we seek to contextualize behavioral and cultural facts in the mid-20th century. In this perspective, we believe that the justification of this article is due to the lack of literature in the academic field that is intended to understand the history of women with their entry into the nursing profession and its analogy with fashion, being that, a nurse woman carries a great symbolic value. The female nursing uniform, in the historiographic context, proves to be an indispensable component for understanding the conduct of the profession and also in view of the gender issues that permeate it. Therefore, the research to be carried out in this work can be classified as an object. This is because it is possible to recognize the main characteristics of the work to be performed. As for the methodology, the work in hand makes the option for the (dialectical) method. This option is justified because the chosen method allows to understand the human being as an active being and of relationships and that knowledge is built by this subject in his relationship with others and with the world.