FATHERHOOD AND MASCULINITY

The thesis presents the results of a qualitative social research which deals with contemporary experiences and representations of fatherhood in the Italian context, with the main aim of looking at possible spaces for a deepening of the reflection on how studying fatherhood could give a contribution to the study of masculinities. Theoretically, it is based on the conceptual distinction between fathers, fathering and fatherhood, on conceptualizations of masculinities, and on critiques and developments of the concept of hegemonic masculinity: hybrid/plural masculinities on the one hand and inclusive/caring masculinities on the other. Methodologically, it is based on three sets of data: 33 discursive interviews with first time Italian fathers of children aged 0-3 years, all employed, heterosexual, and cohabiting with the mothers of their children (areas of Torino and Cuneo – Piedmont); 15 television advertisements depicting fathers, and a focus group with a subgroup of interviewees on media representations of fatherhood and issues related to care. The analysis of the empirical materials deals with different issues: the process of becoming a father, and the meanings attached to fatherhood; care practices and responsibilities; fatherhood as depicted in popular media culture; gender costruction in fathering practices. The fundamental aim is to understand whether contemporary experiences of fatherhood and transformations of traditional masculinities may represent a change in gender relations within the family, or instead have to be interpreted as hybridizations of hegemonic masculinity.