Fragmenting Fatherhoods? Fathers, Fathering and Family Diversity.

The central concern of this research is to explore how male parents make sense of and understand their experiences of fathering in a diverse array of family forms. It is a mixed methods study, using both quantitative and qualitative data, to explore the extent to which 'paternal careers' have become more diverse and complex, and the consequences of this complexity for fathers as they negotiate fathering in their everyday lives. Drawing upon data from the British Household Panel Survey it provides a quantitative exploration of the paternal careers of British fathers born between 1920 and 1979, illustrates the changes in family forms and paternal statuses of the fathers and explores attitudes towards fathering, gender roles and different family forms. Using the testimonies of twenty-five male parents this thesis explores how parenting is experienced for contemporary fathers. It illustrates the changing dynamics of families and the impact it has on the way fathers perceive and experience fatherhood. In particular, it focuses on the experiences of stepfathers in multi-father families. This thesis illustrates how stepfathers negotiate the label 'dad' and the extent to which the traditional notions of 'family' are being re-conceptualised to include recognition that children are parented by more than one 'father'. The nature of interpersonal relationships betweenmale parents in multi-father families is also explored.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

City University London

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Lee, K.

• HM Sociology