The Reflexive Formation of Fatherhood Beliefs: How Men Construct Ideals of Fatherhood Through Experience and Social Context

Existing research highlights continuity across generations in paternal practices and attitudes, often rooted in men’s experiences of being fathered. The psychological processes through which men translate these early experiences into beliefs about fatherhood have received little attention. Understanding how men develop beliefs about fatherhood may help explain the continuity and change in fathering practices across generations. Using reflexive modernisation as a lens, this study examines how men construct beliefs about fatherhood, with particular attention to their experiences of being fathered and the socio-cultural context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve Australian men (M = 39 years) with varied relationships to fatherhood: non-fathers (n = 6), fathers (n = 3) and grandfathers (n = 3). Participants reflected on their early experiences of being fathered, current beliefs towards fatherhood and intended or current fathering behaviour. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in four themes, namely: (1) Retrospective meaning-making of fathering experiences, (2) Negotiating fatherhood within a changing landscape, (3) The selective curation of beliefs, and (4) Beliefs as an ongoing project: content and tensions. The analysis suggests that belief formation is an ongoing, active and reflexive process responsive to the social context, reflected in men’s use of evaluation, comparison, negotiation and selective curation to build individualised beliefs about fatherhood. Findings also highlight how social structures sustain traditional norms and inhibit the translation of egalitarian ideals into reality. These findings extend existing understandings of fatherhood beliefs from what shapes them to how they are formed and negotiated, with implications for fatherhood interventions and practice.