The awkward spaces of fathering

About this book

As women are increasingly entering and remaining in the workplace, there has been a shift in familial power relations. The role of men as 'fathers' has changed and become marginalized. Societal notions of fathers have evolved from the distant breadwinner through genial dad and masculine role model to equal co-parent. While this transformation has been seen by many scholars as a positive one, co-parenting by men tends to be seen as interdependent with, in opposition to, and at times, less than mothering. Seeks to explore the spaces and movements of men-as-fathers. Weaving together theories of space, sexuality and political identity with the stories of fathers from a range of sources, including popular culture, it discusses the way in which geographies of space can disconnect and disempower fathers, while societal notions marginalize and disassociate them from raising children. It explores how fathering identities are shaped by family and community spaces and aims to move the definition of 'fathering' beyond its definition in opposition to 'mothering'. From publisher description.