About this item
There are hundreds of books on parenting, and with good reason - becoming a parent is scary, difficult, and life-changing. But when it comes to books about parenting identity, rather than the nuts and bolts of raising children, nearly all are about what it's like to be a mother.Drawing on research in sociology, economics, philosophy, gender studies, and the author's own experiences, Father Figure sets out to fill that gap. It's an exploration of the psychology of fatherhood from an archetypal perspective as well as a cultural history that challenges familiar assumptions about the origins of so-called traditional parenting roles. What paradoxes and contradictions are inherent in our common understanding of dads? Might it be time to rethink some aspects of fatherhood?Gender norms are changing, and old economic models are facing disruption.
About the Author
Jordan Shapiro, PhD, is an author, educator, and researcher. He's Senior Fellow for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, and Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. He teaches in Temple University's Intellectual Heritage Program, and he wrote "The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World" (Little Brown Spark, 2018) . He lives in Philadelphia with his two sons. His book, "Father-Figure: How to be a Feminist Dad" (Little Brown Spark, 2021) offers a norm-shattering perspective on fatherhood, family, and gender essentialism.
