Fathers, Childcare and Work: Cultures, Practices and Policies

The work-life balance of fathers has come under scrutiny, with qualitative and quantitative empirical analyses exploring how fathers reconcile paid work and care responsibilities. Contributors from a global perspective explore how fathers realize and represent their gendered work-care balance, and how enterprises and experts provide resources, constraints, expectations, and social norms that shape their practices. Chapters also explore how fathers from different social and economic backgrounds fulfill their roles and what support they rely on.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 11 May 2018
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited

The issue of work-life balance for fathers has garnered significant attention in political and academic discourse. This comprehensive collection brings together qualitative and quantitative empirical studies to examine the diverse approaches taken by fathers in reconciling their paid work and care responsibilities. With a global outlook, contributors explore how fathers perceive and articulate their gendered work-care balance, as well as how organizations and experts in specific country contexts offer formal and informal resources, constraints, expectations, and social norms that shape their practices. The chapters delve into the ways in which fathers from diverse social and economic backgrounds fulfill their roles within the family and in the workplace, as well as the support systems they rely on to successfully combine these responsibilities. Additionally, the collection explores a relatively under-researched area: the role played by organizational cultures and experts, including obstetricians, gynecologists, pediatricians, and psychologists, in shaping notions of "good fatherhood" and "fathering," which individuals are expected to adhere to and to which they may conform or resist. By examining these multifaceted aspects, the collection provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics and challenges faced by fathers in today's society.

Weight: 562g
Dimension: 161 x 238 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787430426