Introduction: Chinese Fatherhood Revisited

Abstract

This chapter maps out the focus of past studies on the impact of fathers’ involvement in the family and on children’s development. Only recently have studies begun to look at how fathers make sense of their paternity. In particular, agency is generally lacking in research into Chinese fatherhood. Therefore, the chapter first revisits the literature on fatherhood and the Chinese family, and then discusses the theoretical framework, using practice and reflexivity theories to delineate the interaction between structure and agency in the perpetuation and resistance of conventional fatherhood among Chinese fathers in Hong Kong. It then goes on to explain the contexts of the two research projects and the methodology involved.