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“Most Clearly, Dads are Best!” – a critical discourse analysis of fatherhood discourses in Singapore
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Type
Thesis
Author
See, Eng Kiat
Supervisor
Weninger, Csilla
Abstract
Fatherhood is now an unprecedentedly visible cultural phenomenon in Singapore. This increased attention has been brought about by the inaugural nationwide fatherhood movement, Dads for Life, the continual development of parenting magazines and the recent emergence of daddyblogs within the Singapore blogosphere. The proliferation of text and talk about fatherhood attests to its significance as a commercial, ideological, and cultural subject, evoking the need for a scrutiny of fatherhood discourses in these sites, which have received scant attention. This study examines the fatherhood discourses in four texts, namely the (1) ‘new dad’ ads and (2) feature articles from Today’s Parents, a parenting magazine; (3) articles from Life Dads, a government electronic newsletter on fatherhood; and (4) blog entries from three daddyblogs. The thesis employs Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 1992), supplemented by Barthesian semiotics (1973; 1977) to analyse the text and visuals. In Today’s Parents, the ‘new dad’ ads shored up a discourse of metrosexual fatherhood that represents the father as an independent dad, a suavely powerful dad, and a non-feminine fashion consumer. In the same magazine, ‘new fatherhood’ and ‘traditional fatherhood’ discourses are found in the feature articles. The former is comprised of representations of the father as an active, a sentimental and jocular dad whereas the latter characterises him as a teacher of values, an adjunct caregiver and a busy dad. These discourses underscore a self-oriented masculinity and an aspirational tenor, which serve the commercial interests of the magazine. In the second genre, Life Dads is found to contain the discourse of communitarian fatherhood, which valorises the father as an active dad, a teacher of nation-building values, and a supported dad. Another discourse of patriarchal fatherhood in Life Dads is realised by the instantiations of the venerated dad, hardworking dad and gender essentialism. Both discourses promote a speciously visible fatherhood that stunts the advancement of feminist visions of involved fatherhood. In the genre of daddyblogs, it is found that the father positions himself as an expert consumer, an engaged dad, and a gatekeeper of gender norms. The expert consumer upholds the values of consumerism while the engaged dad projects himself as an involved family man and entertaining dad. Additionally, the dad as a gatekeeper of gender norms maintains gender-stereotypical roles and gender-conforming behaviours. A comparison of themes across the three genres revealed that the discourses can be organised into the three broad discourses of ‘consumerist fatherhood’, ‘traditional fatherhood’, and ‘new fatherhood’. The thesis proposes a Hegemonic Fatherhood Discourse Schema and postulates that the ‘new father/man AND traditional father/man’ ideology is the hegemonic fatherhood in Singapore. This configuration of fatherhood favours a youthful, middle-class father over ‘marginalised fathers’ and ‘subordinate fathers’. In terms of gender relations, this hegemonic fatherhood addresses feminist concerns superficially but never abdicates its patriarchal privilege. In sum, this ideology upholds other ideologies of heteronormative families, traditional gender relations, communitarianism, and consumerism, which are underpinned by a positive affect. It is suggested that these ideologies ultimately serve the interests of the Singapore state.
Date Issued
2017
Call Number
P302 See
Date Submitted
2017