Doing Good Parenthood

This edited collection shows that good parenthood is neither fixed nor stable. The contributors show how parenthood is equally done by men, women and children, in and through practices involving different normative guidelines. The book explores how normative layers of parenthood are constituted by notions such as good childhood, family ideals, national public health and educational strategies. The authors illustrate how different versions of parenthood coexist and how complex sets of actions are demanded to fulfil today’s expectations of parenthood in Western societies. This interdisciplinary book will be of interest to research scholars in child and family studies, students, experts, social workers, politicians, teachers and parents.

Anna Sparrman is Professor at the Department of Thematic Studies – Child Studies, Linköping University, Sweden. Allan Westerling is Associate Professor at the Department of People and Technology and the Centre for Childhood, Youth and Family Life research at Roskilde University, Denmark.Judith Lind is Lecturer at the Department of Thematic Studies – Child Studies, Linköping University, Sweden.Karen Ida Dannesboe is Assistant Professor at the Department of Educational Anthropology, School of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark.