Consumption of Baby Gear: the new father identity of the Danish cosmopolitan man constructed through consumption

Hedetoft-Fraire Romano, Marie Tannit

4. term

Culture, Communication and Globalization, Master

2015

2015-05-29

43

I mange samfund ser man ofte til moderen for at forstå barnets behov, mens faderen placeres som forsørger snarere end som medforælder. Derfor har forskningen ofte fokuseret på kvinder og i mindre grad undersøgt faderskab i relation til forbrug af babyudstyr, rolleovergang og forbrugeridentitet. Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan nye fædre i Danmark med en kosmopolitisk orientering oplever overgangen til forældreskab gennem de ting, de køber til deres babyer. Det spørger, hvordan den danske kosmopolitiske mand bruger forbrug af babyudstyr til at opbygge og forhandle sin nye faderrolle, og hvad det siger om hans forbrugeridentitet i en interkulturel hverdag. Undersøgelsen bygger på relevant teori og dybdegående interviews med seks danske og udenlandske par med små børn og giver indblik i, hvordan disse mænd forstår og udlever faderskab. Resultaterne antyder, at nogle fædre bruger forbrug strategisk til at konstruere en faderidentitet, der kommer tættere på deres ideal og mindsker afstanden mellem det reelle og det ideelle selv. I en åbentsindet dansk kontekst trækker kosmopolitiske mænd også på andre ressourcer – som moderne kommunikationsmuligheder på tværs af grænser og billige rejser i transnationale familier. Frem for alt viser interviewene stærke følelser af kærlighed og engagement i barnet, hvilket ikke er forbeholdt mødre.

In many societies, people often look to mothers to understand a baby’s needs, while fathers are cast as providers rather than co-parents. As a result, research has tended to focus on women, leaving fatherhood underexplored in relation to baby-gear consumption, role transition, and consumer identity. This thesis examines how new fathers in Denmark with a cosmopolitan outlook experience the transition to parenthood through what they buy for their babies. It asks how the Danish cosmopolitan man uses the consumption of baby gear to build and negotiate his new father role, and what this reveals about his consumer identity within intercultural family life. The study draws on relevant theories and in-depth interviews with six Danish and foreign couples with small children, offering insight into how these men understand and enact fatherhood. The findings suggest that some fathers use consumption strategically to construct a father identity that feels closer to their ideal, narrowing the gap between the real and the ideal self. In an open-minded Danish context, cosmopolitan men also draw on other resources—such as communication across borders and affordable travel within transnational families. Above all, the interviews highlight strong feelings of love and engagement with their children, showing that such emotions are not exclusive to mothers.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

Consumption ; Father ; Baby gear

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