Constructing Fatherhood: Discourses and Experiences

by Deborah Lupton, Lesley Barclay

The experience of fatherhood is fraught with conflict and ambivalence. On the one hand "new" or "involved" fatherhood represents the opportunity for men to express their nurturing feelings, taking an equal role in parenting and being there for their children. On the other hand, men are still expected to participate fully in the economic sphere and act as providers, constructing their identities as men through their work role. Constructing Fatherhood provides an innovative and interdisciplinary analysis of the social, cultural, and symbolic meanings of fatherhood in contemporary western societies. The authors draw on poststructuralist theory to analyze the representation of fatherhood in the expert literature of psychology, sociology, health sciences, and popular media. MenÆs own accounts of first-time fatherhood are also drawn upon, including four individual case studies.
This book will be of interest to students and academics in the fields of gender and masculinity studies, the sociology of the family, cultural studies, social psychology, social work, social policy, and nursing as well as to practitioners working with families in the areas of health and welfare.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published August 22, 1997

Reviews

[Karalee Shotola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my Children, Parents, and Family Life class as part of my Child Studies master's program. The first chapter on theories of fatherhood was a bit dense and took a while to get through, but reading through the portrayal of fatherhood in popular media and the authors' own study on the experiences of first-time fathers was more enjoyable.
If you want to understand how fatherhood is portrayed by experts and media and how it compares to the lived experiences of fathers, then I recommend reading this book.