Chinese Fatherhood, Gender and Family

Father Mission

Mario Liong

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN:
  9781137441850
• eBook ISBN:
  9781137441867
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Marriage & Family Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

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.

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• 1: Introduction: Chinese Fatherhood Revisited
• 2: From Control to Care: Historicizing Family and Fatherhood in Hong Kong
• 3: Power of Invisible Care
• 4: Cultural Parent
• 5: Marrying Masculine Responsibility
• 6: Rethinking Chinese Fatherhood
• Appendix
• Bibliography
• Index