Sacrifice for the family

Representation and practice of stay-at-home fathers in the intersection of masculinity and class in Hong Kong

Bibliographic Data

ID3638142
AuthorsMario Liong (0000-0002-1568-4981, Centennial College, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume26
Issue4
Pages402-417
Publication date2017-07-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Gender Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0958-9236 • E-ISSN: 1465-3869
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09589236.2015.1111200
OpenAlexW2281589601
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited50

With changing socio-economic conditions, some men choose to become stay-at-home fathers in Hong Kong. Although they constitute only about .5% of the total male population, they have captured widespread media attention in recent years. This paper is an exploratory study on the gender representation of stay-at-home fathers in newspapers, and their identity and practice in real life in relation to the construction of masculinity in the Asian context, with particular focus on the intersection of masculinity and social class. Although stay-at-home fathers have given up their traditional breadwinner role, the media continue to portray them in terms of conventional masculinity. Contrary to the findings in Western society, this paper, which is based on Bourdieu's practice theory, reports that middle-class men in Hong Kong with social and cultural capital are less reflexive in their gender habitus to accept their carer identity, whereas working-class fathers, who lack the appropriate capital to resume their provider status, define themselves as carers who are responsible to the family. As the identity of provider is still central to men, the emergence of this new fatherhood is only a refashioning of the traditional role of fathers and thus does not challenge the existing gender structure

Cultural capital · Geography · Habitus · Hegemonic masculinity · Masculinity · Political science · Reflexivity · Social class · Social science · Sociology · Gender Politics and Representation · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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