Involved Fatherhood Ideals and Practices in European Post‐Socialist Societies

Abstract

This thematic issue examines how involved fatherhood is negotiated across post‐socialist Europe, where expectations of paternal engagement remain unevenly institutionalised and practiced. Bringing together seventeen contributions covering eleven post‐socialist countries and a 16‐country comparison, the issue analyses how fathers navigate tensions between traditional breadwinner norms and emerging caregiving ideals. The articles reveal substantial cross‐national and social variation shaped by welfare regimes, labour market structures, family policies, and socio‐economic inequalities. Using frameworks such as involved fatherhood, caring masculinities, intensive parenting, intersectionality, structural approaches, and the multiple equilibrium approach to fertility, the collection highlights a persistent gap between aspirations and practices. Despite support for involved fatherhood, structural constraints—long working hours, income disparities, workplace cultures, and limited policy support—constrain equal responsibility, particularly for the mental and organisational dimensions of care. Based on diverse qualitative and quantitative data, the findings show class‐, education‐, ethnicity‐, and family‐structure based inequalities, demonstrating how institutional legacies, contemporary politics, and socio‐economic stratification shape fatherhood in distinct ways, informing more context‐sensitive research and policy aimed at advancing gender equality.