Publication date:
05 November 2015Length of book:
200 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442248106
American Fatherhood: A Cultural History traces changes in what it means to be a dad in America, from the 1960s through today. The book begins with an overview of fatherhood in America from the “founding fathers” through the 1950s and progresses to the role of fathers as they were encouraged to move beyond being simply providers to becoming more engaged parents, navigating complex and changing gender and family expectations.
By tracing the story of fatherhood in the United States over the course of the last half-century, American Fatherhood reveals key insights that add to our understanding of American culture. The book argues that, for most of the twentieth century, male parents were urged to embrace the values and techniques of motherhood. In recent years, however, fathers have rejected this model in place of one that affirms and even celebrates their maleness and their relationships with their children. After decades of attempting to adopt the parenting styles of women, in other words, men have finally forged a form of child-raising that is truer to themselves. In short, fatherhood has become a means of asserting, rather than denying or suppressing, masculinity—an original and counterintuitive argument that makes us rethink the idea and practice of being a dad today.
By tracing the story of fatherhood in the United States over the course of the last half-century, American Fatherhood reveals key insights that add to our understanding of American culture. The book argues that, for most of the twentieth century, male parents were urged to embrace the values and techniques of motherhood. In recent years, however, fathers have rejected this model in place of one that affirms and even celebrates their maleness and their relationships with their children. After decades of attempting to adopt the parenting styles of women, in other words, men have finally forged a form of child-raising that is truer to themselves. In short, fatherhood has become a means of asserting, rather than denying or suppressing, masculinity—an original and counterintuitive argument that makes us rethink the idea and practice of being a dad today.
Samuel (Death, American Style), a onetime 'confirmed bachelor' who became a father at age 55, examines the evolution of American fatherhood from the mid-1960s to current day in this well-researched book. Readers looking for poignant moments in parenting won't find it here. This is a (mostly) objective study of how fatherhood has changed as the roles of men—and women—have evolved. For example, in the 1970s, 'bachelor fathers,' single by divorce, were an oddity, and a father gaining custody of a child was notable. Using a wide array of resources, including popular magazines, books, and television shows, Samuel shows how fathers have moved past the 'invisible parent' stage of the 1980s into the 'fatherhood movement' of the 1990s, becoming more comfortable in their role as fathers without simply trying to emulate mothers. Samuel's assessment is often candid; he quotes several men who admit, in the words of one, that fatherhood 'might have been a mistake.' . . . [O]n the whole, this is a strong, educational, and informed resource.