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- Title
FRÁ ÚTILOKUN TIL VALKVÆÐRAR ÞÁTTTÖKU: FEÐUR Í UPPELDISRITUM 1846-2010.
- Authors
GÍSLASON, INGÓLFUR V.
- Abstract
One of the major issues in a gendered world concerns the relationship of men and women towards children, mainly their roles as a father or a mother. This has for a long time been a major diving factor in Western societies and Iceland is no exception. But these roles have changed dramatically in the last centuries as the more general social roles of men and women (and children) have changed. At the same time the general discourse has changed and acted on the social structures surrounding parenthood. The article examines this discourse as it is presented in books and booklets published in Iceland from 1846 to 2010, focusing on pregnancy, birth and the caretaking of infants. All in all 37 books and booklets were read and content analysis used to examine how the role of the father is portrayed. Three major periods can be detected. The first and the longest, spans from the first book in 1846 up to the nineteen-sixties. During this period the father is more or less absent. Several sources make no mention of a father at all and in other cases he is mentioned once or twice as a "provider" or a handyman. However, towards the end of the period his role has begun to increase. The second period is from the nineteen-sixties up to the final decade of the twentieth century. This is a period of major social change, mainly in the roles of women. Mothers enter the labour market, the educational revolution of women really takes off and they become visible in all areas traditionally dominated by men. And there is also one important change regarding fathers. It is during this period that fathers begin to be present at the birth of their children, something that very soon becomes the norm. In the books of this period the father is much more visible, but mainly as mother's "helper" or assistant. He rarely does anything without being asked. And, furthermore, he is clumsy in his dealings with the child (and the mother) and has little idea about what is going on. But more and more he is present and it is emphasised that he, and his involvement, is a task the mother has to shoulder. It is her responsibility that the father should become active in the caretaking of the child. This she has to do mainly because it supports the personal development of the father but also because it is important for the child and the family as a unit. The third period begins in 1994 with the publication of the first book solely addressing fathers to be. However, the line between periods two and three is nowhere as sharp as between periods one and two. Mainly, the emphasis on the father increases and he becomes more and more independent. Social changes during the period have strengthened the role of the father with regard to his children, mainly by making shared custody following divorce an option and, also importantly, by the introduction of a three months long paternity leave. Both changes were eagerly adopted by Icelandic parents. Another aspect setting this period apart from the second is that fathers themselves start to write and publish books about their experiences, their joys and disappointments. As for the more general books, the traits from period two are still visible; fathers are clearly not parents on par with the mothers. But it would be almost unthinkable today to publish a book on pregnancy, birth and the caretaking of infants without discussing the role of the father and less and less in the patronizing way that characterized the books of the second period. Nevertheless, it is somewhat surprising that the idea of equal parenthood has not entered into this particular discourse except in name only. The mother is obviously the main parent while the participation of the father is still something of a choice.
- Publication
Icelandic Journal of Education / Timarit um Uppeldi og Menntun, 2018, Vol 27, Issue 1, p23
- ISSN
2298-8394
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.24270/tuuom.2018.27.2