Theorising fatherhood: challenges and suggestions

IF 1.1 3区社会学 Q3 FAMILY STUDIES

Families Relationships and Societies Pub Date : 2023-01-05 DOI:10.1332/204674321x16693961177375

T. Johansson

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

During the 1990s, the sociology of the family was vitalised by new and groundbreaking theories of modernity, identity, and the family. At this time the family was put forward as an example of how modern institutions and identities were transforming and changing. Concepts such as individualisation, choice biographies, and reflexivity brought new perspectives to family research. Parallel to this Raewyn Connell’s book Masculinities raised important questions about men’s lives and generated a renewed interest in theories of masculinities. Overall, these parallel theoretical tracks also brought new life to issues on fatherhood. Specifically, a collaborative approach gradually developed between critical studies on men and masculinities and research on fatherhood and fathering. Following a development from functionalist to contemporary theories on fatherhood, possibilities to theorise and redefine fatherhood will be explored. Using a multidimensional theoretical approach to fatherhood will facilitate making connections between the phenomenological (the body, subjectivity), and the sociocultural (welfare regimes, hegemonic structures) aspects of fatherhood. The article also argues that we might have to develop a new theoretical language that does not define acts, performativity and attitudes in terms of fathering/mothering.

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父权理论化:挑战与建议

在20世纪90年代，关于现代性、身份和家庭的开创性新理论为家庭社会学注入了活力。在这个时候，家庭被提出作为现代制度和身份如何转变和变化的一个例子。个性化、选择传记和反身性等概念为家庭研究带来了新的视角。与此同时，雷文·康奈尔(Raewyn Connell)的书《男子气概》(Masculinities)提出了关于男性生活的重要问题，并重新引起了人们对男子气概理论的兴趣。总的来说，这些平行的理论轨迹也给父亲的问题带来了新的生命。具体地说，在关于男性和男子气概的批判性研究与关于父亲和父亲的研究之间逐渐形成了一种合作的方法。随着从功能主义到当代父权理论的发展，将探索理论化和重新定义父权的可能性。使用一种多维的理论方法来研究父亲身份将有助于在现象学(身体、主体性)和社会文化(福利制度、霸权结构)方面建立父亲身份之间的联系。这篇文章还认为，我们可能需要开发一种新的理论语言，它不以父亲/母亲的方式定义行为、表演和态度。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Families Relationships and Societies FAMILY STUDIES-

CiteScore

2.10

自引率

14.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Families, Relationships and Societies (FRS) is a vibrant social science journal advancing scholarship and debates in the field of families and relationships. It explores family life, relationships and generational issues across the life course. Bringing together a range of social science perspectives, with a strong policy and practice focus, it is also strongly informed by sociological theory and the latest methodological approaches. The title ''Families, Relationships and Societies'' encompasses the fluidity, complexity and diversity of contemporary social and personal relationships and their need to be understood in the context of different societies and cultures. International and comprehensive in scope, FRS covers a range of theoretical, methodological and substantive issues, from large scale trends, processes of social change and social inequality to the intricacies of family practices. It welcomes scholarship based on theoretical, qualitative or quantitative analysis. High quality research and scholarship is accepted across a wide range of issues. Examples include family policy, changing relationships between personal life, work and employment, shifting meanings of parenting, issues of care and intimacy, the emergence of digital friendship, shifts in transnational sexual relationships, effects of globalising and individualising forces and the expansion of alternative ways of doing family. Encouraging methodological innovation, and seeking to present work on all stages of the life course, the journal welcomes explorations of relationships and families in all their different guises and across different societies.