The experiences of new fatherhood: a socio-cultural analysis

For most men, first-time fatherhood involves significant changes in self-id entity and their relationship with their female partner. This paper present s some findings from a longitudinal, qualitative study into the first 6 mon ths of new fatherhood for a group of 15 Australian men. The discussion draw s on a series of semistructured interviews undertaken on a minimum of four occasions from a few days before the child was born until 5-6 months after birth. We found that first-time fathering in contemporary western society r equires men to be simultaneously provider, guide, household help and nurtur er. The demands of these roles, and the tensions they sometimes produce, ch allenge men's relationships with their female partners, the meaning and pla ce of work in their lives and their sense of self as competent adults. Almo st all the men we interviewed found the early weeks and months of fatherhoo d more uncomfortable than rewarding, despite looking forward to fatherhood very positively. Their experience appeared more closely aligned to their di fficulties with meeting social expectations and roles rather than individua l deficits.