Many countries call for more men to be teachers in early childhood education and care (ECEC). In Sweden, the issue has been discussed since the early 1970s, but despite these discussions there is little Swedish research that examines the notions and expectations associated with male teachers. International research has found that perceptions of men in ECEC can be very ambivalent and that physical contact between the male educator and children is a sensitive issue. By focusing on the interaction between educators and children, the purpose of this study is to investigate gender-specific beliefs about male preschool teachers. The empirical material consists of interviews with 50 informants. Of these, 17 are men and 33 are women. The results show that "the fun guy" and "the possible perpetrator" are two gender-specific positions that male informants are subjected to. The article discusses how men take up and resist the two positions, and argues for the need to further challenge gendered stereotypes in preschools. KEYWORDS Men in early years (ECEC); masculinity; preschool teachers; gendered expectationsThis Swedish study examines gender-specific notions about male preschool teachers and various ways men handle these notions. The background of international research has found that perceptions of men in early childhood education and care (ECEC) can be very ambivalent. Researchers from Anglo-Saxon countries report that men are depicted as both heroes and demons (Evans & Jones, 2008) and that men are expected to display both sex stereotypic and non-stereotypic behaviour (Sargent, 2005). Despite ambivalent notions, there is a strong demand for male educators in many countries (Coordination Centre for Men in ECEC, 2012). In Sweden, there have been measures to recruit more men to preschools since the early 1970s. The men in the Swedish preschools have first and foremost been appreciated and welcomed by staff and parents (Granbom & Wernersson, 2012;Wernersson & Lander, 1979). Still, mistrust towards men in ECEC, which has long been common in other countries (Cameron, 2001;Jones, 2001), has also surfaced in Sweden in recent years. Despite the political measures encouraging Swedish men to take care of their own childrenmeasures that have also gained great acceptance (Klinth, 2002) men in preschools are nevertheless in danger of being regarded with suspicion (Eidevald, 2013).

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