Envisioning fatherhood: A social psychological perspective on young men without kids

Using in-depth interviews and a purposive sample of 32 men ages 16-30 who h ave not yet fathered a child, our grounded theory study examined how men en vision aspects of fatherhood. Informed by symbolic interactionist and life course perspectives, our interpretive data analyses yielded two interrelate d substantive dimensions: fatherhood readiness and fathering visions. I Ve introduce five interrelated theoretical themes to sharpen our understanding of these dimensions, and discuss how these dimensions and themes inform in terventions aimed at heightening young men's procreative responsibility.