A continuum of caring masculinities: evidence from Khmer men’s childcare practices

ABSTRACTABSTRACTThis article aims to contribute to the debate about the link between ‘hegemonic masculinity’ and childcare practices in conceptions of ‘caring masculinities’. It conceptualises ‘caring masculinities’ along a continuum that encompasses ‘less-caring’ and ‘more-caring’ practices at each extreme, both shaped by men's perceptions of their intersecting identities as husbands and fathers. This draws on the concept of ‘caring’ in feminist moral philosophy and on sociological approaches to ‘masculinity’ to analyse empirical evidence of Khmer men’s childcare practices in Cambodia. The development of a continuum of caring masculinity enables us to investigate the extent to which, and the way in which, men are engaged in ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ care in their childcare practices, alongside their breadwinning roles. The empirical data are based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 26 young fathers and 26 young mothers who have at least one young child aged six or younger and who reside in either urban or rural settings in Cambodia.KEYWORDS: Caring masculinitiesfathershegemonic masculinityparentingcare AcknowledgementsI would like to thank Dr Md. Mozammel Haque who gave critical feedback on the first draft of this article. My sincere thanks also go to my supervisors, Associate Professor Dr Bina Fernandez and Dr Violeta Schubert who guided me on my PhD project from which this article is drawn. My sincere gratitude goes to Dr Bina Fernandez who reviewed my revised manuscript.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsSambath MySambath My completed his PhD in Development Studies at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. His PhD field of research (FOR) codes are gender relations, studies of men and masculinities, social policy, and socio-economic development. He also completed his master’s degree in gender and development, gaining First Class Honours at the University of Melbourne. He has a decade of professional experience working for national and international non-government organisations in the fields of gender relations, women's rights, and men’s family violence in Cambodia.