A fatherhood not that new? The discourses of children and fathers about fatherhood: a comparison

Abstract

The improvement of children’s well-being has been one of the goals justifying and stimulating research on fathering. The impact that fathers have on their children’s lives is, especially in the subjective perspective of it, one of the most relevant aspects of the study. In this article, paternal processes are explored from a sociological perspective, focusing on children’s views and comparing them with the fathers’ discourse. The analysis is qualitative, drawn from two focus groups with children and eight with fathers. The fieldwork was conducted in the cities of Barcelona and Madrid. Results show the diversity of inter-subjective perspectives in which fathers and children experience fatherhood. Moreover, children call into question some aspects set out by the “new father” thesis.