Fatherhood/Fathers/Fathering

Definition

Fatherhood refers to the processes associated with designating specific men as fathers, thereby holding a gendered parental relationship with individual child/ren.

Discussion

Distinctions between fatherhood, fathers and fathering have recently become a focus of social scientific discussion (Morgan, 2004), with fatherhood referring to broad institutional structures, while fathers refers to specific individuals who occupy the position of male parent. However, unlike mothering, ‘fathering’ as a verb (in English usage) can mean either to beget a child or to engage in a set of activities around the care of children. This may or may not link closely to ideas about biological paternity, which are culturally variable. What constitutes fathering has thus been a source of academic debate.

For many men, historically and cross-culturally, the experience of fatherhood is ...