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Slow Motion pp 22–49Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

The Good Father: Reconstructing Fatherhood

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Abstract

Sometimes, in the life of every man, the weight of male tradition must prove burdensome. We are now used to hearing of some of these burdens: men die younger than women; they are more prone to coronary disease; they find it difficult to seek help when they need it — regarding illness, for example, as a sign of weakness: something to be denied. A small but significant number of men have publicly declared their commitment to breaking out of the traditional rules of masculinity — sharing gentler feelings, dedicating themselves to expressing a kinder, more caring, less competitive and aggressive masculinity. But have men generally changed? Is a new type of man emerging? One way of throwing light on this question is to look at men as fathers. There is little dispute that fathers have become more involved in at least some aspects of childcare since the 1970s. Yet controversy surrounds the image and reality of the ‘new father’, ranging from approval and celebration to scepticism and derision.

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Notes

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Birkbeck College, University of London, UK

    Lynne Segal (Anniversary Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies)

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  1. Lynne Segal
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© 2007 Lynne Segal

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Segal, L. (2007). The Good Father: Reconstructing Fatherhood. In: Slow Motion. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230582521_2

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