The Role of Fathers As Kinkeepers: First Results from an Interview Study with Three-Generation Family Lines

Currently, the international literature on fatherhood focuses on ‘new fatherhood’ and highlights the increasing involvement of fathers in raising children and the transition of masculine social patterns towards greater emotional involvement (Bosoni et al. 2019). But it has also been shown, that in other areas of care work (e.g. housework), fathers’ participation has not increased so significantly (Gerum 2021). Studies focusing on the concept of ’doing family‘ (Jurczyk 2018: 61) add the intrafamilial dimension: These studies suggest that women are often the 'managers of everyday life' and 'direct' the activities of other family members (Miller 2017). Moreover, they often organize family events and have the responsibility to ensure the family remains connected – also across generations or across countries (Brannen et al. 2014, Parke et al. 2021). However, what role do fathers play as kinkeepers and how has this changed over time and generations? Little attention has been paid so far to the concrete intergenerational transmission of these patterns within a family (Brown et al. 2018).

In our study, we therefore explore both past and current social conditions for fatherhood in Germany and Poland and examine the intergenerational transmission of fatherhood patterns and practices. Based on an analysis of in-debth-interviews with family lines (great-grandfathers, grandfathers and fathers in Poland and Germany), we will present which roles fathers take on as kinkeepers and which particular difficulties are faced by fathers in challenging life situations (e.g. divorce, migration, poverty, mental or health restrictions). First results suggest that although fathers’ roles in families are largely dependent on surrounding factors – above all the intra-partnership dynamic with the respective mothers – they play an active part in interconnecting family lines, for example by organizing family activities or holidays. Furthermore, they pass on family-related norms and values that has been under-highlighted so far.