Emotional Geographies of Expectant Fathering

Recent decades have seen strong societal emphasis on quality father-child relationships due to its associations with positive child development (Expectant Fathers Programme 2013); such expectations on more intimate/emotionally-involved fathering has provoked research on fathering within Human Geography (Meah 2017; Aitken 2009). However, to date, there has been no geographic research on the geographies of expectant fathering- despite its significantly spatial nature and recognition that involvement during pregnancy can have positive implications for father-child bonding (Bond et al. 2010). Building on the author's previous research at Masters/undergraduate level- both dedicated to the geographies of fathering, respectively on the construction of relationships of love/intimacy and on how employed fathers balance work/home- the proposed research intends to examine the emotional geographies of expectant fathering. Specifically, it seeks to explore fathers' experiences of 'pregnancy' spaces; the changing geographies of 'everyday' spaces (particularly the home/workplace) and bonding relationships with the foetus, ultimately to demonstrate how expectant fathering is a profoundly emotional spatial practice.
It is proposed that data be repeatedly collected via a mixed-method approach over the course of the pregnancy, from the first trimester to three-months after the birth. A cohort of fathers will be asked to engage in periodic in-depth interviews (possibly every six weeks); maintain solicited-diaries (Morrison 2012) for two-week intervals, as well as ethnographic 'go-alongs' and house-tours by the researcher. The proposed research will extend current geographic literature on fathering by critically demonstrating how, much like mothering, the emotional geographies of fathering transcend the birth of the child, which may have some significant implications for policy on inclusion/recognition of the role of expectant fathers, especially in clinical/workplaces.