Fertility desires and visions of fatherhood: individual preferences of young heterosexual men in Lithuania

Abstract

Demographic research on fertility has almost exclusively focused on women, however, men’s fertility preferences are equally important to the understanding of the processes and mechanisms that affect fertility. This article analyzes the data from the qualitative study with young (19–34 year old) heterosexual childless Lithuanian men and ex­plores the relationship between fertility desires, visions of fatherhood and perceptions of masculinity. Our results show that independently of whether the study participants have internalized the “male breadwinner” norm, they modelled their fertility desires according to their current financial situation and perceived future income. Their vi­sions of fatherhood were also often framed by the cultural ideal of a man who is strict, tough and is the main family provider. However, the vision of the father who actively participates in childrearing was also common.