This book is about how Chinese men make sense of and practise fatherhood within the context of changing gender conventions and socio-cultural conditions. Liong analyses data from participant observations at a men's centre, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, to assess the subjective experience and identities of Chinese fathers in Hong Kong, from a gender perspective. His findings show that economic provision, education, and marriage are the three "natural" and "normal" domains of paternity. Not being able to fulfil these requirements is a threat to fathers' masculinity, yet is also an opportunity for fathers to reflect upon these accepted conventions. In order to compensate, these men typically develop a closer and more caring relationship with their children, however these fathers still struggle with feelings of inferiority.

Uniquely explores the impact of fathers on their children's education alongside topics such as love, masculinity, identity, marriage, economics and feminism Provides in-depth analysis of the dialectical relationship between fatherhood and manhood Focuses on the oft-neglected areas of fathers' everyday lives and agency

Autorentext

Mario Liong is Associate Professor at Ritsumeikan University, Japan. Previously he was Post-Doctoral Researcher at Umeå University, Sweden and Assistant Professor at Centennial College, Hong Kong.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Chinese Fatherhood Revisited.- 2. From Control to Care: Historicizing Family and Fatherhood in Hong Kong.- 3. Power of Invisible Care.- 4. The Cultural Parent.- 5. Marrying Masculine Responsibility.- 6. Rethinking Fatherhood