Sex, Men, and Babies: Stories of Awareness and Responsibility

by William Marsiglio, Sally Hutchinson

Overview

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 and children'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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814756812
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	10/27/2002
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

William Marsiglio is Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida, has written extensively on the social psychology of men's sexuality, fertility, and fatherhood. His most recent books include Procreative Man and Fatherhood: Contemporary Theory, Research, and Social Policy.

Sally Hutchinson is Professor of Nursing at the University of Florida, teaches qualitative methods to doctoral students and has published more than 60 articles on the method or product of qualitative health research. As an international speaker and consultant in qualitative research, she has worked in Brazil, Australia, Egypt, Canada, Scandinavia, and East Africa.

Table of Contents

1 Setting the Stage
2 Studying Young Single Men
3 Becoming Aware, Being Aware
4 Turning Points in Identity
5 Romantic Involvements
6 Thinking about Fatherhood
7 Looking Forward

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Sex, Men, and Babies is a significant contribution to a surprisingly under-researched area: the meaning and place of fathering in the lives of young men. It is a valuable contribution to men's studies, to gender studies, and to the sociology of the family."

-Barbara Katz Rothman,City University of New York

"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.

"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

Editorial Reviews

"Sex, Men, and Babies is a significant contribution to a surprisingly under-researched area: the meaning and place of fathering in the lives of young men. It is a valuable contribution to men's studies, to gender studies, and to the sociology of the family."

-Barbara Katz Rothman,City University of New York

From the Publisher

"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

"Sex, Men, and Babies is a significant contribution to a surprisingly under-researched area: the meaning and place of fathering in the lives of young men. It is a valuable contribution to men's studies, to gender studies, and to the sociology of the family."

Barbara Katz Rothman