‘Everything but Breastfeeding’

Abstract

In Chapter 1, and in the introduction to Part II, I outlined an approach to the examination of fathers’ caregiving as embodied practice — as a series of activities to which they bring particular body capital, and which requires them to learn new body techniques. Here, I put this approach into practice by looking at what fathers are doing from their perspective, as engaged, embodied subjects. As a basis for this exercise, I draw on my visits with 13 fathers, who had taken leave from, or who had given up full-time employment in order to care for babies.