Film: Evolution of Dad
How have women's experiences in recent American history (the past 50 years) influenced the meaning and experience of fatherhood during that same time period?
Women were known as the caregivers, but now more woman are in the workforce, instead of always being at home. Due to economic changes, it is needed to have two incomes coming into one household to provide for their families, therefore allowing some fathers to be able to either work less and see their children, or become stay at home fathers--some woman receive higher paying jobs as well, allowing this to happen.
What questions does the filmmaker ask the "people on the street" and how do they respond? What are the apparent contradictions present in these responses? How do normative expectations for father's family roles shape current assumptions about stay- at-home dads?
-"What was the most important thing about fatherhood" -Response: To be involved with their child's lives and to be there for them "What they feel about stay at home dads? -Response: Didn't like it; men are supposed to work and provide for their families "What were their relationships with their dads? Response: They worked all the time and barely saw them; or didn't know their dad at all
How and why have fathers' roles changed historically in our country? What impact did the Industrial Revolution and World War II have on fathers' roles?
Father's roles changed by the stigma that the father had to bring in the money and be in-charge of working constantly; The Industrial revolution cause the "self-made-man" and to work is what made them "men" ; WWII: Men went to war and the woman took over their jobs, but after the war they were expected to get back into their jobs (even with new kids at home) and be the provider.
*ESSAY QUESTION*: How do the realities featured in this film contribute to our understanding of the social construction of gendered parenting norms?
It shows how harsh society is when stigmatizing men and woman to the process of having children. Society believes that mothers should stay at home and be the caregiver to their child while the men provide the income. Men and woman are not more skilled than one another, therefore, they both need to practice when it comes to taking care of a child. They aren't supposed to know exactly what to do when the baby is born, that's why it is a learning process for both parents, together. The film goes against what the societal norm is of parenting, with the father being the stay at home caregiver and the mother working.
What does the research tell us about "maternal instinct"? How do fathers change physiologically when they are highly involved with their newborns?
Maternal Instinct doesn't exist and parenting is a learning process for BOTH parents. Fathers experience hormonal changes (just like mothers) when having a child, such as testosterone levels increase and stress, and parts of their brains grow.
How do both men and women perpetuate gender stereotypes and gendered divisions of labor in the care of newborns?
Men are not recognized as equal parents to a mother; they are resembled as not wanting to change diapers and do the dirty work that woman do with their newborns, but most stay at home dads have the mindset that it's their own child and they should be able to do such tasks. After awhile though, men feel the need to go back to work and that is their way of "loving their child".
What patterned differences do we see in the ways that mothers and fathers parent? Are these differences biological or the result of social context? Explain.
Mothers are going to work and fathers are staying home with the kids; Mothers are stigmatized to have the "maternal instinct" when it comes to children, making fathers "clueless" to how to take care of a child. This is the result of social context. Mothers were always caregivers and fathers were the money providers, the "man community" is expected to bring in the income and work and men judge them critically if they do not follow this social norm.
