Men Can: The Changing Image and Reality of Fatherhood in America

Fatherhood is evolving in America. Stay at home dads are becoming more commonplace; men are becoming more visible in domestic, caregiving activities. In "Men "Can," "writer, teacher, and father Donald Unger uses his personal experiences, stories of real-life families, as well as representations of fathers in film, on television, and in advertising, to illuminate the role of men in the increasingly fluid domestic sphere. aIn thoughtful interviews, Don Unger tells the stories of a half dozen familiesOCoof varied ethnicities, geographical locations, and philosophical orientationsOCoin which fathers are either primary or equally sharing parents, personalizing what is changing in how Americans care for their children. These stories are complemented by a discussion of how the language of parenting has evolved and how media representations of fathers have shifted over several decades.a aa"Men "Can shows how real change "can" take place when families divide up domestic labor on a gender-neutral basis. aThe families whose stories he tells offer insights into the struggles ofOCoand opportunities forOComen caring for children. When it comes to taking up the responsibility of parenting, his argument, ultimately, is in favor of respecting personal choices and individual differences, crediting and supporting "functional" families, rather than trying to force every household into a one-size-fits-all mold.a