Fathering in Public: Navigating Care in Public Spaces

Sociological research has given increased attention to the spatial dynamics of family life, exploring parenting practices across a range of public places. While there is a clear shift in cultural representations of fathers as involved carers, the presence of fathers within parental spaces is still regarded as a novelty, with fathers often treated with suspicion and feeling ‘out of place’. As such, this chapter draws upon findings from an ethnographic study of fatherhood to contribute to understandings of the public dynamics of fathering practice in the UK. A total of 11 fathers participated in semi-structured interviews, with four fathers also taking part in ‘go-along’ interviews, with the data analysed through thematic analysis. Two themes were developed: ‘“You’re on babysitting duties today, then?”: barriers, scrutiny, and praise in parenting spaces’ and ‘Caring practices in public spaces’. The first theme explores how the fathers’ interactions with other social actors within public spaces influences how their practices are interpreted and performed. The second theme explores the ‘fleeting moments’ of embodied care, the interactions with their children that are often overlooked as part of everyday practice. Ultimately, this chapter concludes that navigating public spaces supports fathers in developing confidence and competency as primary carers.