Coming out of the pantry: An exploration of identity construction and maintenance for at -home fathers

A small but growing number of American families are adopting a primary caregiving father/primary wage-earning mother family form, most commonly to avoid placing children in out-of-home care. This study examines how this family arrangement influences the fathering and gender identities of men whose primary family responsibility is that of childcare. Thirty-one qualitative interviews were conducted with at-home fathers in three states in the Midwest to determine how this role affects their identities. The majority of men have come to see their parenting role as their most salient identity and maintain this through their commitment to caring for children in the home, their relationship with spouses, relationships with other at-home parents, and interactions with at-home fathers. Some men, however, continue to rely on their occupational identity as a salient part of their identity hierarchy and commonly communicate this to others. Gender identities are also influenced by being a man in a nontraditional role. These fathers recognize the incompatibility of many of the qualities of hegemonic masculinity with their caregiving role. Yet, most continue to view themselves as masculine beings with qualities largely consistent with dominant patterns of masculinity in the United States