Theoretical Explorations of Fatherhood

Abstract

This chapter is explorative and theoretical in nature. The chapter investigates and explores a number of central theoretical ideas and notions of fatherhood. We are not presenting a grand, universal theory of fatherhood, but rather provide an initial sketch and mapping of the theoretical landscape of fatherhood in contemporary Western contexts—a landscape that enables us to theorize about different forms and expressions of fatherhood. The chapter stretches from Talcott Parsons’s theory of the American breadwinner to more individualized and gender-neutral contemporary families.