Constructing Fatherhood: Men Exposed to Domestic Violence in Childhood

How exposure to domestic violence in childhood impacts parenting practices of men is largely unexplored. The study used the concept of hegemonic masculinity as a lens to gain insight into social processes, relations, and gendered practices of men exposed to domestic violence in childhood as they construct fatherhood. Qualitative interviews with 16 men who identified being exposed to domestic violence in childhood and actively parenting a child under 5 years old were conducted. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2021) due to its compatibility with our constructionist theoretical position. The three main themes discussed in this article are construction of fatherhood through (1) hegemonic patterns of masculinity in childhood, (2) tensions with hegemonic patterns of masculinity in fatherhood, and (3) practices of complicit and hegemonic patterns of masculinity. Ultimately, we highlighted the way the men constructed fatherhood through a change in parenting style without actually ceding power or social position.