Brid Feathersone. CONTEMPORARY FATHERING: THEORY, POLICY, AND PRACTICE

Abstract

Brid Feathersone. CONTEMPORARY FATHERING: THEORY, POLICY, AND PRACTICE. Portland, OR: The Policy Press, 2009, 224 pp. ISBN 978-1-86134-987-3, $34.95 paperback.In her book Contemporary Fathering: Theory, Policy, and Practice, Brid Featherstone attempts the ambitious task of bringing together literature from multiple disciplines, multiple cultures/countries, and multiple theoretical perspectives to create a comprehensive picture of fathering knowledge, policies, and practice. The book highlights numerous important issues, trends, strengths, and weaknesses in the field of fathering; however, the organization of the book is difficult to follow at times and cross-cultural discussions are brief, both of which unfortunately detract from the book's overall readability and utility.The first few chapters set the stage with a comprehensive discussion of fathering; current and historical contexts of fathering research, practice, and policy are introduced. The author provides a useful summary of current and historical policies and practice and the evolution of our knowledge regarding various aspects of fathers, fatherhood, and fathering (aptly distinguished as being separate entities). Also introduced are the conflicts and similarities among men and masculinities scholars, feminists, fathering scholars, and fathers' rights groups, and the challenges these produce when attempting to understand and best serve fathers. Featherstone first discusses the contemporary context and then historical perspectives regarding fathering, which feels a bit out of order and starts a trend found throughout the rest of the book-namely, extensively cross-referencing of earlier and later chapters. Although this is understandable in the first chapter (and perhaps the other two initial foundational chapters), this practice continues throughout the book and makes the overall storyline difficult to follow.Chapters four, five, and six focus on three key theoretical/disciplinary approaches to the study of fathers: psychoanalysis, psychology, and sociology. These chapters present important historical and disciplinary trends in the study and societal/political views of fathers. However, significant overlap between the fields themselves and between these chapters and discussion in later chapters of policies and programs relating to fathers make the discussions difficult to follow at times.Chapter seven returns to a political discussion of contemporary views of fathering, focusing heavily Qn fathers' rights groups and fathering organizations (primarily in the UK, but there are brief mentions of organizations and groups in other countries). The book would have benefited from a more culturally diverse discussion, as the current brief references to other countries leave the reader with more questions than answers. …