| dc.description.abstract | In recent years, academic literature has indicated an expansion of understandings of masculinity and fathering in contemporary Western society, shifting from hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1980s) towards ‘caring masculinity’ (inspired by the concept of universal caregiver, Fraser, 1977; developed by Elliott, 2016, amongst others). Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the latter’s emergence, critics have both challenged the temptation to overly simplify these ideas into a ‘new’ vs ‘traditional’ father (Dermott); and questioned whether ‘involved fathering’ (key characteristic of caring masculinity) is more cultural ideal than material reality, with such fathering potentially representing re-creations of patriarchal dominance in new guises (Hearn, Gatrell, Ranson amongst others).
This research seeks to introduce the study of memory to this intersection between fatherhood and masculinity studies, in order to test the academic hypothesis of a shift in fatherhood model by investigating the prevalence of fatherhood norms within the Netherlands - specifically the influence of childhood memory in their intergenerational transmission. In other words, researching how an individual’s memory of the experience of being fathered shapes the parameters of their own engagement with, and/or adoption of, fatherhood norms, and how this ties in with their understanding, performance, and valuation of masculinity.
This research adopts an hermeneutic-phenomenological methodology, and a mixed-methods research design incorporating a survey (in Dutch) followed by semi-structured interviews (in English) to contextualise survey findings through personal stories, focusing more explicitly on childhood memories.
The goal of this research is to understand how fatherhood norms are remembered and to what extent these are transferred, in order to break negative fathering cycles in the advance towards gender equality. | |
| dc.subject | This research investigates how an individual’s memory of the experience of being fathered shapes the parameters of their own engagement with, and/or adoption of, fatherhood norms, and how this ties in with their understanding, performance, and valuation of masculinity. The goal of this research is to understand how fatherhood norms are remembered and to what extent these are transferred, in order to break negative fathering cycles in the advance towards gender equality. | |
