RETHINKING GENDER, RETHINKING MIGRATION: Re-thinking Fatherhood and Manhood among Polish Migrant Fathers in Norway

Being the biggest ethnic minority group in Norway, Poles not only dominate in the labourimmigration, but also rank first on the list of family immigration to the country. Atthe same time, the lack of research on parenting and gender roles among intra-Europeanmigrant families may reflect that the Polish migrant families, who have migrated to WesternEurope after 2004, are culturally assumed to be more similar to the host countries’populations. This article therefore aims at filling that gap by exploring the Polish migrantfathers’ conceptualisations of fatherhood and manhood in the migratory context. Thisarticle scrutinises the ways Polish migrant fathers interpret the perceived changes in theirparenting styles and practices after the emigration from Poland and settling with theirfamilies in Norway. It identifies and discusses three main theoretical categories, developedwith the content analysis method: encountering work-life balance, re-evaluating familylife, child and parenting, and reconquering manhood.