Forms of fatherhood have become more diverse over the past decades. Fatherhood is now lived and practiced in very different ways, and responsibility is assumed in various forms –  whether through child-rearing, everyday involvement in children’s lives, or financial provision. However, there is still little robust evidence on how fathers themselves understand and experience their role, as well as on men’s general attitudes toward fatherhood.

This is where the research project Fatherhood in Germany (Vaterschaft in Deutschland / ViD) comes in. It examines how fathers across Germany shape their fatherhood, how they experience it, and which challenges they encounter, regardless of whether they live together with their children or separately. In addition, men without children will also be surveyed about their understanding of fatherhood.

Diversity of Fatherhood

Fatherhood is diverse and can therefore be lived and experienced in many different ways. It unfolds across a wide range of family constellations, leading to varied forms and experiences of fatherhood, including:

• Biological fathers
• Stepfathers
• Foster fathers
• Adoptive fathers
• Expectant fathers
• Single or separated fathers
• Fathers in relationships and those without partners

Individual experiences of fatherhood are shaped by personal attitudes and decisions, as well as by numerous external factors, such as financial resources or the social environment.

So far, these diverse experiences have hardly been systematically studied. The aim of this project is therefore to capture and uncover these perspectives.