Fatherhood politics in the United States : masculinity, sexuality, race and marriage / Anna Gavanas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gavanas, Anna, 1971-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fatherhood responsibility movement.

Fatherhood--Social aspects--United States.

Fatherhood.

Masculinity--United States.

Masculinity.

Sex role--United States.

Sex role.

Marriage--United States.

Marriage.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (221 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Are fathers being marginalized in the contemporary family? Responding to fears that they are, the self-proclaimed "fatherhood responsibility movement" (FRM) has worked since the mid-1990s to put fatherhood at the center of U.S. national politics. Anna Gavanas's Fatherhood Politics in the United States analyzes the processes, reveals the internal struggles, and traces the myths that drive this powerful movement.Unlike previous investigations that rely on literary or other secondary sources, Fatherhood Politics works from primary ethnographic material to represent a wider range of voices and actors. Interacting with and interviewing members of the most powerful and well-known national fatherhood organizations, Gavanas observed Promise Keeper rallies, men's workshops, and conferences on masculinity, fatherhood, and marriage.Providing a detailed overview of the different organizations involved and their various rhetorical strategies, Gavanas breaks down the FRM into two major wings. The "pro-marriage" wing sees marriage as the key to solving all social problems, while the "fragile family" organizations worry about unemployment, racism, and discrimination. Gavanas uses her extensive anthropological fieldwork as the basis for discussions of gender, sexuality, and race in her analysis of these competing voices.Taking us inside the internal struggles, tensions, and political machinations of the FRM, Gavanas offers a behind-the-scenes look at a movement having real impact on current social policy. Fatherhood Politics is an essential work for anyone interested in the politics of masculinity, parenthood, marriage, race, and sexuality.

Contents:

The contested terrain of U.S. fatherhood politics

Pro-marriage fatherhood

Fragile family fatherhood

Religion and sports as common grounds for masculinization

Naughty by nature.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 177-186) and index.

ISBN:

9786613251138

9781283251136

1283251132

9780252091377

025209137X

OCLC:

782056214