Exploring Single, Stay-at-Home, and Gay Fathers’ Perspectives of Masculinity and the Influence These Have on Their Understandings of Their 4- to 12-Year-Old Children’s Outdoor Risky Play

Abstract

Fathers’ perspectives on masculinity can influence their perspectives on their children’s outdoor risky play. This study makes a novel contribution to bridging a gap in knowledge that exists between the fields of sexuality, family dynamics, and child injury prevention by exploring single, stay-at-home, and gay fathers’ perspectives on masculinity and the influence that these have on their perspectives of their 4- to 12-year-old children’s outdoor risky play practices. Through the use of semistructured interviews and critical discourse analysis, three discourses were identified: Masculinity and fatherhood are being redefined, fathers play an important role in their children’s experiences of outdoor risky play, and fathers should enforce limits during their children’s outdoor risky play.