Towards generative fatherhood. Analysis of the social dimensions of the phenomenon.

In the face of the changes taking place in the area of parental roles and the expanding range of possibilities of fulfilling the father role (from the uninvolved father, the mother's helper to the father as an equal parent or even the primary caregiver), there is a need to take into account individual, individual and social aspects. The concept of generative fathering, understood as equal participation in all aspects of childcare, offers such an opportunity because it refers to men's motivations and aspirations, and at the same time describes the institutional basis of changes. The presented article characterizes the factors conducive to the development of generative orientation: egalitarian relationship with child’s mother, professional work that gives space for implementation in other areas of life and the possibility of creating a satisfactory relationship with the child. Research findings relating to the links between professional work of both parents and paternal commitment, and to the participation of fathers in childcare, suggest that generativity - when analyzed in a social context - is not a common father experience.