The history of fatherhood in Norway : 1850-2012

The first study of its kind, this book traces 150 years of the history of fatherhood in Scandinavia and shows how Scandinavian gender equality policy has important implications for the rest of the world. Among other interesting findings, Lorentzen reveals that the modern-day rise in equality fathering can be traced back to the 19th century. The last two decades have seen a significant revolution in fatherhood in Norway and the Nordic countries. Statutory paternity leave has been introduced, men write books about how wonderful it is to be a father, Prime Ministers are photographed holding their babies, new websites are continually appearing for fathers, and most importantly, statistics show that the average man now participates in the care of his children in a completely different way than previously. Fathers seem to have a real desire to take their place in the home, and to be with their families and children. The first study of its kind, this book traces 150 years of the history of fatherhood in Scandinavia and shows how Scandinavian gender equality policy has important implications for the rest of the world. Among other interesting findings, Jorgen Lorentzen reveals that the modern-day rise in equality fathering can be traced back to the 19th century. Ultimately, the main aim of this study is to offer an understanding of fatherhood; how those who wrote, wrote about it, and what their texts can tell us about the changes in the thinking that surrounded this absolutely vital subject Cover 1 Half-Title -1 Title -1 Copyright -1 Contents -1 Note from the Series Editors -1 Foreword -1 Introduction -1 Research on Fathers -1 Part I 1850–1927 -1 The Patriarchal Father at the Hearth -1 Separate Spheres -1 Father’s Involvement during the Birth -1 Father as the Dearest Company -1 The Home as Man’s Refuge -1 Quantity of Time -1 The Distant and Authoritarian Father -1 Early Changes in Gendered Relationships -1 Ibsen and Fatherhood -1 The Patriarchal Father -1 The Fallen Father -1 The Loving Father -1 The Father’s Declining Presence in the Home -1 Part II 1927–1970 -1 The Golden Age of the Housewife and the Banishment of the Father from the Home -1 The Era of the Housewife Reaches Its Highpoint -1 Optimism about the Future in the Absence of the Father -1 The Father as a Laughing Stock -1 Murmurings of Criticism about the Father’s Absence -1 Sigurd Hoel’s Culturally Pessimistic Family Revolt -1 The Heterosexual Harmony -1 Part III 1970–2012 -1 The New Father and the Democratization of Intimacy -1 Fatherly Feelings -1 A New Trend—“Dad Books” -1 Men as Humorists -1 Men’s Differences -1 The Similarities in Fathers’ Practice -1 Recent Research on Fathers -1 Political Initiative to Strengthen the Father’s Nurturing Role -1 Absent Fathers in the Era of Fatherly Intimacy -1 The Great Fatherhood Paradox -1 My Struggle: The Struggle over Fatherhood -1 The Opening -1 Masculine Inadequacy and the Fear of the Feminine -1 Afterword -1 References -1 Index -1 The last two decades have seen a significant revolution in fatherhood in Norway and the Nordic countries. Statutory paternity leave has been introduced, men write books about how wonderful it is to be a father, Prime Ministers are photographed holding their babies, new websites are continually appearing for fathers, and most importantly, statistics show that the average man now participates in the care of his children in a completely different way than previously. Fathers seem to have a real desire to take their place in the home, and to be with their families and children. The first study of its kind, this book traces 150 years of the history of fatherhood in Scandinavia and shows how Scandinavian gender equality policy has important implications for the rest of the world. Among other interesting findings, Jørgen Lorentzen reveals that the modern-day rise in equality fathering can be traced back to the 19th century. Ultimately, the main aim of this study is to offer an understanding of fatherhood; how those who wrote, wrote about it, and what their texts can tell us about the changes in the thinking that surrounded this absolutely vital subject -- Provided by Publisher Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-11 1850–1927....Pages 13-70 1927–1970....Pages 71-106 1970–2012....Pages 107-163 Back Matter....Pages 165-190