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Constructing Fatherhood
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Constructing Fatherhood
Discourses and Experiences


September 1997 | 192 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
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.

 
Theorizing Fatherhood
Poststructuralist Perspectives

 
 
`Expert' Discourses and the Construction of Fatherhood
 
Fatherhood in the Popular Media
 
Biographies of Fatherhood
 
Negotiating Fatherhood
Discourses and Experiences

 

`A very impressive book. Its coverage of contemporary discourses of fatherhood is comprehensive. The theoretical stance is one that allows for complexity and fluidity. The authors write well, making even esoteric sociological and cultural theory accessible. I recommend it, in particular, to child and family social workers or to those engaged in the study of this area of work, since constructions of mothering and fathering are so central to its occupational culture' - British Journal of Social Work

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ISBN: 9780761953401
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