Transition to fatherhood: New perspectives in the global context of changing men's identities INTRODUCTION

This IRS thematic issue aims to offer a specific window into the transition to fatherhood. If the changing nature of fatherhood and fathering has been the subject of much research during the last few decades (see for example Hobson, 2002; Doucet, 2006; Dermott, 2008; Miller, 2011), especially from the point of view of father involvement and of the conditions that support the active involvement of fathers with their children, there is still a general lack of attention (and a lack of comparative research) to explore how men make their transitions into fathering. In order to contribute to fill the knowledge gap in current scientific literature, this thematic issue collects four essays on the transition to fatherhood in four different countries (The Netherlands, Austria, Lithuania and Japan) characterized, as the papers explain, by different cultures, gender relations and welfare regimes. The idea is to offer four different point of views on transitions to fatherhood “through fathers’ lens”. The collection of essays will try to answer some key questions: How do fathers experience the transition to fatherhood in the four countries explored? What specific cultural factors influence men's transition to fatherhood? Do existing institutional practices encourage (and how) men in their transition to fatherhood?