‘He’s a Mr. Mom’: Cultural Ambivalence in Print News Depictions of Stay-at-Home Fathers, 1987-2016.”
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Arielle Kuperberg, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: Stay-at-home fathers challenge norms related to masculinity and gendered divisions of parenting roles. We conduct a content analysis of 94 print news articles about at-home fathers published 1987–2016 in the United States, identifying key themes and comparing results with our earlier research on news depictions of at-home mothers. We also analyze national trends in fathers staying home using Current Population Survey data to understand contexts in which articles were published. Articles were family-centric and disproportionately focused on economic elites, emphasizing their “choice” to stay home, but economic reasons for fathers staying home were described more commonly than in portrayals of mothers. Stigmatization experiences were pervasive in articles, appearing more commonly when staying home was reported as discretionary, but less commonly when staying home resulted from involuntary unemployment in recent periods. Portrayals reflect, reinforce, contribute to, and challenge father-as-provider norms, mirroring changes in masculinity norms over time and revealing cultural ambivalence toward at-home fathers.
‘He’s a Mr. Mom’: Cultural Ambivalence in Print News Depictions of Stay-at-Home Fathers, 1987-2016.”
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Created on 1/18/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Gender & Society, 36(3)
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- stay-at-home fathers, fatherhood, masculinities, stigma, content analysis