The book draws on pioneering multigenerational research to examine men’s involvement in care for their families. It interrogates how this is affected by the resources available and the constraints upon them, considering intersections of gender, generation and work, as well as the impact of austerity and welfare support.  

Illuminating aspects of care within economic hardship that often go unseen, it deepens our understanding of masculinities and family life and the policies and practices that support or undermine men’s participation. 

"A sensitive and moving portrayal of men ‘on the margins’, the ebbs and flows of their family contributions and the challenges they face in securing a caring role. Gets to the heart of debates about poverty, gender and the shaping of contemporary families." Bren Neale, University of Leeds

"An insightful and nuanced account of the relationship between masculinities, care and financial resources in the lives of fathers who are living on low incomes." Esther Dermott, University of Bristol

"In this engaging book, previously muted voices and absent experiences of fathering in low-income circumstances are placed centre stage. The lifecourse research takes on over-simplified constructs of father absence and provides compelling insights into men's patterns of presence in fluid and materially uncertain contexts. An overdue addition to the literature on men, fatherhood and caring relationships." Tina Miller, Oxford Brookes University

Anna Tarrant is Associate Professor at the University of Lincoln and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow.

1. Introduction: Fathering, poverty, families and policy

2. Low-income fatherhoods in historical and political context

3. Theorising men’s participation in low-income families

4. Supporting men in low- income contexts: practitioner observations

5. Men’s caring arrangements and family trajectories

6. Familial economic circumstances and provisioning practices

7. Men’s family participation in low-income urban neighbourhoods

8. Conclusion: Men’s family participation in low-income contexts

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