Project: Tracing the lives and support needs of young fathers

Project information

Project manager: Dr Anna Tarrant, University of Lincoln.
Timetable: 2020–2023
Webb page: fyff.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk

More about the project

The broad aim of this project is to advance understanding and transform the way that society constructs and responds to marginalised young fathers (aged 25 and under) in both national and international, comparative contexts.

To achieve this aim, the proposed research offers a longitudinal and international evidence base, and evidenced practice and policy solutions that promote gender equality and the citizenship of young men who are fathers, via a feminist orientation.

The findings will challenge the stereotypes, misconceptions and marginalisations that are experienced by young fathers, while also underpinning change in fundamental societal perceptions around the role of fathers in raising children.

This is also essential to the development of appropriate and effective support across the health and social care landscape, in a direction that enables young men both to be positively engaged in their children's lives and to fulfil their social and economic aspirations.

This is especially pertinent in the current UK welfare and policy context where young men are often constructed as a social problem and a threat, and at worse, a risk to their children. While recognised as a high- risk group in the Nordic states, young fathers are not regarded as a problem to quite the same extent as they are in the UK and the welfare context in which they parent is notably different.

This suggests that there is a clear need for an extended programme of research that has the capacity to develop important learning across comparative international contexts about how they might best be supported to negotiate parenthood positively and how the broader stigmatisation and vilification of marginalised young men who are also fathers might be challenged.