The Awkward Spaces of Fathering

Societal notions of fathers have evolved from the distant breadwinner through genial dad and masculine role model to today's equal co-parent. This book seeks to explore the spaces and movements of men-as-fathers. Weaving together theories of space, sexuality and political identity with the stories of fathers from a range of sources, including popular culture, it discusses the way in which geographies of space can disconnect and disempower fathers, while societal notions marginalize and disassociate them from raising children. It explores how fathering identities are shaped by family and community spaces and aims to move the definition of 'fathering' beyond its definition in opposition to 'mothering'. In doing so, it provides insights into the contradictory nature of father's lives and argues that, rather than moving away from the traditional notions of masculine roles, that the emotional work of fathering in itself is an heroic act.

Contents: Preface; Introduction; Partially remembered stories; Part I Framing: Fathering frames: some histories and geographies; Recovering fatherhood. Part II Closing In: Cinematic landscapes and leaking bodies; The inevitable father; Stretching the imagination. Part III Moving: Tactics, strategies and lines of flight; Migrant moves. Part IV Stopping: Geographic solutions and trials by space; Punctured domesticity; Coming home; Conclusion: fathers beside themselves; References; Index.

Professor Stuart C. Aitken, San Diego State University, USA and The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway