This article presents gender perspectives on the formation of the preschool teacher and the formation of a domain for education and child rearing of young children, commenting on the designation of the professional field of education as "female territory." The report uses the results from two Swedish studies: the first dealing with the period from 1900-1945 and the development of the new profession for caring and education along with its significance as a starting point for redistribution of responsibility for child care; the follow-up study on 1945-1972, a period in Swedish preschool history characterized by the integration of the field into state and municipal structures and by resistance toward the development of a professional domain for early childhood education. Methods used in the studies were quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of the Swedish magazine, "Kindergarten (The Pre-School)," official reports and legislation, interviews, and archival materials. The article addresses political implications for child care and early childhood education, asserting that the development of the preschool field shows the relationship between men and women as more important in deciding roles and behaviors than the gender definition itself. Other issues discussed include the societal and spiritual mother models, sex segregation, patriarchal ideas, paternal protection, and Froebelian theories. Contains 49 references. (BGC)