Understanding discursive barriers to involved fatherhood: the case of Australian stay-at-home fathers

Stevens, Emily

doi:10.1080/13229400.2015.1020989

Cited by 43 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…To date, there has been considerable enthusiasm surrounding the emergence of this new father in the masculinities literature, as the benefits of a father who is attentive, expressive, and involved have been found to outweigh those of a caring father who is detached and distant (Elliott, ; Henwood & Procter, ; Stevens, ). This enthusiasm is tempered, however, by critical accounts, which have challenged the temptation to overly simplify these ideas into a new versus traditional father (Dermott, ).…”

Section: Caring Masculinity and The New And Involved Fathermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Caring Masculinity and The New And Involved Fathermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hegemonic masculinity versus a caring masculinity: Implications for understanding primary caregiving fathers

Hunter

Riggs

Augoustinos

2017

Social & Personality Psych

105

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Recently, there has been a growing interest in what is positioned as a new form of masculinity arising from the increase in fathers as primary caregivers. This new form is referred to as a “caring masculinity” and is theorised as a radical shift away from traditional or hegemonic forms of masculinity. This paper critically examines the fathering literature, focusing specifically on how primary caregiving fathers navigate social norms with regard to masculinity. The paper concludes that there is a complex interplay between expectations of a traditional, provider father and a new and involved father. It is argued that ideas surrounding a caring masculinity are better understood as a broadening of hegemonic masculinity, rather than an entirely new or distinct form.

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Section: Caring Masculinity and The New And Involved Fathermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Caring Masculinity and The New And Involved Fathermentioning

confidence: 99%

Hegemonic masculinity versus a caring masculinity: Implications for understanding primary caregiving fathers

Hunter

Riggs

Augoustinos

2017

Social & Personality Psych

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…He becomes an invisible breadwinner for a family he no longer needs to provide for. This is also a story about feelings of loss and longing and about an emotionally engaged masculinity (Anderson 2009;Autonen-Vaaraniemi 2010;Stevens 2015). Robert not only defines his masculinity in relation to work, but also in relation to his children.…”

Section: Family Life and Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Web of Loneliness: A Netnographic Study of Narratives of Being Alone in an Online Context

Johansson

Andreasson

2017

Social Sciences

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Using a netnographic and case-study-based approach, this article uses different blogs as data in order to analyse how loneliness is conceptualized and understood. More precisely, the study aims to investigate experiences of loneliness and related themes in the context of online communication. In approaching the nature of loneliness, we have analytically leaned on the theories and some of the most basic assumptions of symbolic interactionism, according to which, social encounters and situations, their qualities and their existence, have a profound impact on emotional life. This study can be read as an archaeology of online loneliness and the findings suggest that the experiences of online loneliness can be categorized in different genres, such as the poetics of loneliness, the diagnostics and self-harm of loneliness, and loneliness and family life. Although loneliness is approached and discussed differently, the bloggers' estranged relationships to society tie these identified genres of loneliness together. The different genres derive their character, form and social dynamics from the narrators' struggle and urge to somehow find a way to fit into contemporary society and achieve satisfying social relationships. Furthermore, displaying and presenting the self, and thus becoming the object of other people's attention and interest, in the context of online communication, can be a profound way of reconnecting to society and hopefully avoiding isolation and marginalization.

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“…This division is also often supported at an ideological level in Australia. For example, a recent Australian media analysis found that breadwinning 'involved fathers' were framed as superior to 'stay-at-home fathers ' (Stevens, 2015). What sits between the injunction to involvement and breadwinning thus requires ongoing attention, and as we An examination of men's reasons for wanting children is important as their aspirations may impact on parenting practices, including how involved they are with their children.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Intending fathers: heterosexual men planning for a first child

Bartholomaeus

Riggs

2017

Journal of Family Studies

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Having a child is often treated as a taken for granted part of heterosexual relationships, a norm so entrenched that there is often little discussion amongst couples as to why they want children. In terms of research, while women's reasons for having children have been explored in detail, little attention has been paid to heterosexual men's reasons for having children. This article presents a thematic analysis of interview data with 10 Australian heterosexual men in couples who were planning to have a first child in the near future. The men's responses involved both self-focused motivations, where the child is essentially positioned as an object (e.g. continuing the bloodline), and other-focused motivations, where reasons focused on a future relationship with the child (e.g. teaching and watching a child grow). Our findings show that participants reported self-focused and other-focused motivations for wanting a child, reflecting both traditional and newer approaches to fatherhood.Keywords: fatherhood; reproduction; heterosexuality; parenting; family IntroductionHaving a child is often treated as a taken for granted part of heterosexual relationships, one which requires little explanation or reasoning compared to the decisions of those who do not have children. As Overall writes:[i]n contemporary Western culture, it ironically appears that one needs to have reasons not to have children, but no reasons are required to have them. ... no one says to a newly pregnant woman or the proud father of a newborn, "Why did Despite the treatment of parenthood for heterosexual couples as axiomatic, there has nonetheless been a shift over time in terms of why heterosexual people decide to have children. Historically in western cultures children were wanted for their capacity to work (Ariès, 1962), whereas children are now more likely to be desired for more personal reasons such as self-fulfilment, giving new meaning to the lives of parents, or continuing a family line (Lupton & Barclay, 1997, p. 143). Morison and Macleod (2015) refer to these more personalised accounts of as valued as the "sacralised children script". In fact, having a child is now a significant financial investment, with the increasing expense of having children being documented in western countries such as Australia (Phillips, Li, & Taylor, 2013) and the US (Lino, 2014). In the face of the financial costs that children bring, then, and despite the joy that they may also bring many parents, it is important to consider what it is that motivates heterosexual people to have children, given as Morison and Macleod (2015) note that fertile heterosexual people are the "invisible norm" when it comes to research on pathways to parenthood, where having children is viewed as a "natural progression" requiring little reflection.As others have noted (e.g. de Montigny Gauthier & de Montigny, 2013), while there has been sustained attention to the reasons why children are desired by heterosexual women (e.g. Grewal & Urschel, 1994;Papadimitriou, 2008;Sevón, 2005;Ulrich & Weathe...

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Understanding discursive barriers to involved fatherhood: the case of Australian stay-at-home fathers

Cited by 43 publications

References 33 publications

Hegemonic masculinity versus a caring masculinity: Implications for understanding primary caregiving fathers

Hegemonic masculinity versus a caring masculinity: Implications for understanding primary caregiving fathers

The Web of Loneliness: A Netnographic Study of Narratives of Being Alone in an Online Context

Intending fathers: heterosexual men planning for a first child

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