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Setting the Scene: The Need for Focus on Fathers and Fathering

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Fathering in India

Abstract

This chapter presents important concepts related to fatherhood and fathering, with reference to various established theories and constructs, and highlights the contributions that fathers can make to their children’s development and well-being, as well as the effect that involved fathering has on the children’s own growth, based on research evidence. The focus is on the emerging discourse in the present Indian context, about the need to engage with men and seek their support in childcare, in ensuring women’s reproductive health and in the prevention of domestic violence. With the background of traditional sociocultural constructs, regarding the role of a father, moving away from talking about what men don’t do, I explain the need for understanding the strengths of men as fathers and their generative and nurturing potentials, as it plays out in everyday lived realities. Aligning with this thought, a theoretical framework that draws from the literature on Generative Fathering is presented, as a paradigm that shapes most researches in the volume. The chapter concludes by highlighting the author positioning on the theme, the approach to research and the scope of the book.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India

    Rajalakshmi Sriram

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  1. Rajalakshmi Sriram
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Correspondence to Rajalakshmi Sriram .

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  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India

    Rajalakshmi Sriram

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Sriram, R. (2019). Setting the Scene: The Need for Focus on Fathers and Fathering. In: Sriram, R. (eds) Fathering in India. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1715-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1715-6_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-1714-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-1715-6

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