Story: Women and men

'No son of mine goes to university'

'No son of mine goes to university'

When Trevor Moffitt painted ‘No son of mine goes to university’ he drew on his own experience. Moffitt grew up in Waikaia, a Southland mining town, and studied art at Canterbury University despite his father’s opposition. For many men, their job was an important part of who they were (and who they wanted their sons to be). Some work was seen as particularly masculine. Hard physical labour, working with large machinery, farming, or being the boss were all in this category. Ordinary office work, shop work, and any job done by women and men together were seen as less male – as was studying art at university. This ‘coding’ of work influenced employment choices.

Using this item

Christchurch Art Gallery - Te Puna o Waiwhetu
Reference: 82/38
Oil on board by G. T. Moffitt

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Charlotte Macdonald, 'Women and men - Parallel worlds: mid-20th century', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/29224/no-son-of-mine-goes-to-university (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Charlotte Macdonald, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 Aug 2017