The good father: a qualitative analysis of a parenting workshop in a male UK prison.

Constructions of parenting, particularly mothering, have long been of concern to feminists. Recently feminists have turned their attention to fathering, arguing that it too is a feminist issue. Involving men in childcare is viewed as a critical factor in forging a masculinity that would be less oppressive to women. At the same time, the transformation of the notion of masculinity has become an increasingly popular topic in the West within academic, media and in public debates. In the UK, the recent public highlighting of "fathers 4 justice" has encouraged debate about the changing roles of men in relation to gender equality and in particular with respect to parenthood. This paper looks at the notion of ‘parenting’ and how it becomes interwoven with notions of masculinity within what is often perceived as a particularly ‘macho’ environment – that of a prison. In the last few years, there has been increasing recognition of the rights of male prisoners to pursue family life and relationships, and the benefits of encouraging them to do so. Many prisons have instituted programmes and courses with the express aim of encouraging positive fathering. In this study, data was collected within the context of a fathering workshop run by a UK prison. The presentations made by men involved in the workshop upon completion were videotaped and analysed using thematic decomposition to identify the discourses drawn upon in this context to present ‘the good father’. A number of theoretical and practical implications emerge from the intermingling of these complex issues.