Making Sense of Fatherhood
Gender, Caring and Work

"A compelling account of first-time fathers' journey to fatherhood, set against the most nuanced and perceptive account of the 'gender traps' that await both men and women and impact so profoundly on their 'choice' of gender roles." - Adrienne Burgess, Director of Research, The Fatherhood Institute

"Building on her previous outstanding work on narratives of new mothering, Tina Miller's book on new fatherhood fully establishes her as a leading international scholar and expert on gendered transitions into parenthood for both women and men. This book, rooted in beautifully detailed ethnographic and longitudinal research, makes a major contribution to fathering scholarship. It will appeal to scholars and researchers in the social sciences, policy makers, NGOs working with gender issues, and- of course - to new fathers and mothers who will appreciate, and learn from, these honest stories of transition and change in the lives of new fathers." - Andrea Doucet, Professor of Sociology, Carleton University; author of Do Men Mother (2006) and Editor of Fathering

"The complexities and contradictions of becoming a father today are explored with considerable subtlety in this scholarly and accessible study. These detailed and vivid narratives look at the fathers' stress on 'being there' through a gendered lens and, in so doing, highlight continuities as well as changes." - David H. J. Morgan, Visiting Professor, Keele University

"Accessible, warm and authoritative; this perceptive account of first time fathering successfully articulates the micro-politics of family life and the macro-politics of public policy. Miller shows just how hard it is to 'un-do gender' as the demands of new parenthood confound expectations of equality for contemporary couples." - Rachel Thomson, Professor of Social Research, The Open University