Of love and loss: Negotiating masculinity and care in families of autistic children in China

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are underdiagnosed, underprivileged and under-supported in China. Families, particularly parents, often become primary caregivers, but research on fathers’ caregiving experiences remains sparse compared to mothers’. Understanding fathers’ roles is critical for promoting shared caregiving responsibilities and family well-being. This study analyzes publicly available we-media data of 33 family stories written by 23 fathers of autistic children. Drawing on Bridges and Pascoe’s hybrid masculinities framework, the study explores three interconnected processes: fathers’ emotional responses to their child’s diagnosis, the redistribution of caregiving within families and the emergence of ‘carer-intervener’ identities. By centering fathers’ own accounts in a Global South context, the article contributes new empirical insight to disability and care scholarship, extends theorization of hybrid masculinities by tracing discursive distancing and boundary-fortifying practices in caregiving and highlights policy implications for supporting fathers of children with ASD without reinforcing gendered double standards.