Is Involved Fatherhood Possible? Structural Elements Influencing the Exercise of Paternity in Spain and Norway

This article analyses the different ways in which fatherhood is exercised in Spain and Norway. Family transformations and the redefinition of social roles assigned to men and women have brought changes in the meanings ascribed to paternity by Western societies. The two countries analyzed have undergone these changes in different ways, as they reflect different social interpretations about fathering, dissimilar participation of women in the labor market and diverse development of family policies. The aim of the article is therefore to analyze the structural elements that shape the behavior of fathers in Spain and Norway. Methodological triangulation was applied, combining in-depth interviews in both countries with a quantitative analysis of the main databases within this area. The empirical analysis is undertaken within the structural theory perspective, which takes into account the existence of elements external to the families which influence the distribution of work within the private sphere.