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Being a Traditional Dad or Being More Like a Mum? Clashing Models of Fatherhood According to Swedish and Polish Fathers

Bibliographic Data

ID3023318
AuthorsKatarzyna Suwada (0000-0001-8785-855X, Nicolaus Copernicus University, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume46
Issue4
Pages467-481
Publication date2015-12-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Comparative Family Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-2328 • E-ISSN: 1929-9850
PublisherUniversity of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3138/jcfs.46.4.467
OpenAlexW2623369823
LanguageEN
Citations received6

The purpose of this article is to document how Swedish and Polish fathers understand their parental roles in the times of changing gender relations. An important question is how they deal with two conflicting models of fatherhood-the traditional model based on breadwinning and the new model of involved fatherhood. I argue here that fatherhood is a highly contextual phenomenon and the way men engage in parental roles is strictly connected with the social expectations and people's assumptions about parenting and gender roles. The focus of this paper will be on the links between three elements: (1) the institutional context, in particular the family policy systems, (2) a conflict resulting from the coexistence of two different models of fatherhood, and (3) men's parenting behaviour. The article consists of two parts. In the first one the family policy systems of Sweden and Poland are described. The second part is based on 52 in-depth interviews conducted with Swedish and Polish middleclass and heterosexual fathers. A thematic analysis revealed that the experience of fatherhood is firmly embedded in in a family policy system. Depending on the definitions of parental roles adopted by the welfare state, the particular mechanisms of family policy can sustain or reconstruct the models of fatherhood (and motherhood) and consequently have an impact on the gender inequalities

Context (archaeology) · Developmental psychology · Epistemology · Geography · Inequality · Parental leave · Phenomenon · Political science · Politics · Qualitative research · Social policy · Social science · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Welfare state · Gender Politics and Representation · Gender Studies · Psychology · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

  • Reflections of Swedish Fathers in Late Adulthood on Their Past and Present Parental Role in Relation to the Mother

    Open Access•Maria Wängqvist, Nathalie Korhonen•Scandinavian Journal of Psychology•2026

  • Developments in Involved Fatherhood in Hungary

    Open Access•Júlia Galántai•Social Inclusion•2026

  • New Generation of Fathers in Poland

    Open Access•Magda Muter•Social Inclusion•2026

  • The construction of blended masculinity and gender norm bias of stay-at-home fathers in Hungary

    Open Access•Júlia Galántai•Community Work & Family•2026

  • Exploring the caring of fathers in low-income, rural communities in South Africa

    Marié Roux, Marié Le Roux et al.•Journal of Family Studies•2022

  • I'm not Just a Babysitter

    Open Access•Lily Lewington, Jessica Lee et al.•Men and Masculinities•2021

Citations per year1.2
Citation span2021 - 2026 (6)
Highly citedNo

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