View the Table of Contents.
Read the Preface.

"Readers unfamiliar with the burgeoning literature on the neglected importance of fatherhood will find this study a helpful beginning point."
--"CHOICE"

"A more nuanced and embedded analysis of men's experiences of procreation than we have ever had. One can no longer speak of fatherhood as separate from the decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and reproduction."
--Michael Kimmel, State University of New York, Stony Brook.

Over the past 15 years much pioneering work has been done on the social demography of young men's sexual activities, contraceptive use, and fertility experiences. But how do men develop and manage their identities in these areas?

In Sex, Men, and Babies, William Marsiglio and Sally Hutchinson provide a compelling and insightful portrait of young men who are capable of anticipating, creating, and fathering human life. Based on in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 70 single men aged 16-30, this is the most comprehensive, qualitative study of its kind. Through intimate stories and self-reflections, these men talk about sex, romance, relationships, birth control, pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions, visions of fathering, and other issues related to men's self-awareness, and the many ways they construct, explain, and change their identities as potential fathers. The interviews also provide valuable insights about how young men experience responsiblities associated with sex and the full range of procreative events.

Accessibly written for a wide audience and raising a host of issues relevant to debates about unplanned pregnancy, childbearing among teens and young adults, and women's andchildren's well-being, Sex, Men, and Babies is the fullest account available today on how young men conceptualize themselves as procreative beings. Lessons from this study can inform interventions designed to encourage young men to be more aware of their abilities and responsiblities in making babies.

Shifting marriage and divorce patterns, transformation in the workplace, the growth of the women's movement and the development of the men's movement, all these social and cultural changes have changed fathers' traditional family roles and forced a reexamination of how fathers and children interact. Progress in this new understanding of fathers is highlighted in Fatherhood, a volume of empirical and theoretical research on fathers in families. The research pieces, written by such well-known scholars as Furstenberg, Seltzer, and Greif, examine differences in culture, class, nationality, and custodial status. The chapters focus on legal, economic, and policy questions, as well as on the interaction between fathers and children within the family. Some of the topics explored are fathers' involvement in child care, fathering in the inner city, and single fathers who have custody of their children. Fatherhood is the most current assessment of our research base on fatherhood available for professional, scholarly, and classroom use and is important reading for those interested in men's studies, family studies, gender studies, sociology, psychology, and social work.

"I am grateful to William Marsiglio for having done this book. . . The bibliography alone, wonderfully interdisciplinary, including some classics but brought right up to date, makes the book indispensible. Want to know what is known about men and birth control, men and childbirth, men and abortion? This is the place to begin your research."
--"American Journal of Sociology"

In what ways do men think about and express themselves as procreative beings? Under what circumstances do they develop paternal identities? What is their involvement with partners during the pregnancy and delivery process, and how do they feel about it?

In Procreative Man, William Marsiglio addresses these and other timely questions with an eye toward the past, present, and future. Drawing upon writings ranging from sociology to biomedicine, Marsiglio develops a novel framework for exploring men's multifaceted and gendered experiences as procreative beings. Addressing such issues as how men feel about their limited role in the abortion decision and process, how important genetic ties are for men who want to be fathers, and men's reactions to infertility, Marsiglio shows how men's roles in creating and fathering human life is embedded within a rapidly changing cultural and sociopolitical environment.

The most comprehensive analysis of men and procreation, this theoretically informed work challenges us to expand our vision of fatherhood.

In Stepdads: Stories of Love, Hope, and Repair, William Marsiglio addresses provocative and timely questions facing stepfathers, single mothers, and remarried couples today. Drawing on revealing in-depth interviews, Marsiglio explores how stepfathers and their partners with minor children of all ages make sense of their feelings and circumstances while managing the challenges of their unconventional families. He outlines individual, social, and legal strategies to enhance stepfathers, ' mothers, ' and children's live

View the Table of Contents.
Read the Preface.

"Readers unfamiliar with the burgeoning literature on the neglected importance of fatherhood will find this study a helpful beginning point."
--"CHOICE"

"A more nuanced and embedded analysis of men's experiences of procreation than we have ever had. One can no longer speak of fatherhood as separate from the decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and reproduction."
--Michael Kimmel, State University of New York, Stony Brook.

Over the past 15 years much pioneering work has been done on the social demography of young men's sexual activities, contraceptive use, and fertility experiences. But how do men develop and manage their identities in these areas?

In Sex, Men, and Babies, William Marsiglio and Sally Hutchinson provide a compelling and insightful portrait of young men who are capable of anticipating, creating, and fathering human life. Based on in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 70 single men aged 16-30, this is the most comprehensive, qualitative study of its kind. Through intimate stories and self-reflections, these men talk about sex, romance, relationships, birth control, pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions, visions of fathering, and other issues related to men's self-awareness, and the many ways they construct, explain, and change their identities as potential fathers. The interviews also provide valuable insights about how young men experience responsiblities associated with sex and the full range of procreative events.

Accessibly written for a wide audience and raising a host of issues relevant to debates about unplanned pregnancy, childbearing among teens and young adults, and women's andchildren's well-being, Sex, Men, and Babies is the fullest account available today on how young men conceptualize themselves as procreative beings. Lessons from this study can inform interventions designed to encourage young men to be more aware of their abilities and responsiblities in making babies.

"I am grateful to William Marsiglio for having done this book. . . The bibliography alone, wonderfully interdisciplinary, including some classics but brought right up to date, makes the book indispensible. Want to know what is known about men and birth control, men and childbirth, men and abortion? This is the place to begin your research."
--"American Journal of Sociology"

In what ways do men think about and express themselves as procreative beings? Under what circumstances do they develop paternal identities? What is their involvement with partners during the pregnancy and delivery process, and how do they feel about it?

In Procreative Man, William Marsiglio addresses these and other timely questions with an eye toward the past, present, and future. Drawing upon writings ranging from sociology to biomedicine, Marsiglio develops a novel framework for exploring men's multifaceted and gendered experiences as procreative beings. Addressing such issues as how men feel about their limited role in the abortion decision and process, how important genetic ties are for men who want to be fathers, and men's reactions to infertility, Marsiglio shows how men's roles in creating and fathering human life is embedded within a rapidly changing cultural and sociopolitical environment.

The most comprehensive analysis of men and procreation, this theoretically informed work challenges us to expand our vision of fatherhood.

As humans, we embrace our individuality, yet we chase the comfort and sense of purpose that comes from being part of a group. Especially timely given our polarized world, Chasing We-ness examines how social media, AI, new leadership styles, and other modern developments affect our state of we-ness. It illuminates how our contemporary identities find expression in both progressive and conservative social movements that foster a sense of we-ness. Embracing the reality that "we're all in this together," the book interrogates our efforts to achieve a state of we-ness that rejects hate, social injustice, and autocratic agendas in the twenty-first century. This book explores why, how, and with what effect we build we-ness into our lives in both healthy and destructive ways. William Marsiglio draws on his expertise as a leading sociologist to explore the motivational forces that inspire a sense of group belonging in intimate groups, civic organizations, thought communities, sports and leisure activities, and work. Promoting initiatives that cultivate mindfulness, empathy, altruism, and leadership, Chasing We-ness proposes essential life skills to empower us, reduce social divisions, strengthen the social fabric, and uplift our spirits as global citizens.

Shifting marriage and divorce patterns, transformation in the workplace, the growth of the women's movement and the development of the men's movement, all these social and cultural changes have changed fathers' traditional family roles and forced a reexamination of how fathers and children interact. Progress in this new understanding of fathers is highlighted in Fatherhood, a volume of empirical and theoretical research on fathers in families. The research pieces, written by such well-known scholars as Furstenberg, Seltzer, and Greif, examine differences in culture, class, nationality, and custodial status. The chapters focus on legal, economic, and policy questions, as well as on the interaction between fathers and children within the family. Some of the topics explored are fathers' involvement in child care, fathering in the inner city, and single fathers who have custody of their children. Fatherhood is the most current assessment of our research base on fatherhood available for professional, scholarly, and classroom use and is important reading for those interested in men's studies, family studies, gender studies, sociology, psychology, and social work.

Now more than ever, American dads act as hands-on caregivers who are devoted to keeping themselves and their families healthy. Yet, men are also disproportionately likely to neglect their own health care, diets, and exercise routines - bad habits that they risk passing on to their children. In Dads, Kids, and Fitness, William Marsiglio challenges dads to become more health-conscious in how they live and raise their children. His conclusions are drawn not only from his revealing interviews with a diverse sample of dads and pediatric healthcare professionals, but also from his own unique personal experiences - as a teenage father who, thirty-one years later, became a later-life dad to a second son. Marsiglio's research highlights the value of treating dads as central players in what he calls the social health matrix, which can serve both healthy children and those with special needs. He also outlines how schools, healthcare facilities, religious groups, and other organizations can help dads make a positive imprint on their families' health, fitness, and well-being. Anchored in compelling life stories of joy, tragedy, and resilience, Dads, Kids, and Fitness extends and deepens public conversation about health at a pivotal historical moment. Its progressive message breathes new life into discussions about fathering, manhood, and health.