Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ Narratives

The article examines Lithuanian middle-class fathers’ uses of emotional capital to learn which patterns of emotional engagement with children they employ in their fathering. Emotional capital is defined, in the article, as a type of interpersonal resource that consists of emotion-based knowledge and...

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Main Author: Arturas Tereskinas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-06-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/6/261
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author Arturas Tereskinas
author_facet Arturas Tereskinas
author_sort Arturas Tereskinas
collection DOAJ
description The article examines Lithuanian middle-class fathers’ uses of emotional capital to learn which patterns of emotional engagement with children they employ in their fathering. Emotional capital is defined, in the article, as a type of interpersonal resource that consists of emotion-based knowledge and emotion-management abilities that can lead to social benefits. The 24 in-depth interviews with 35- to 48-year-old fathers show that males believe they are emotionally prepared to cope with their children’s concerns and challenges. The use of emotional capital is an attempt to strengthen their standing as fathers and gain pleasure. Emotional capital is activated by fathers regulating negative emotions and using positive emotions to speak with their children and form friendship bonds. Emotion-based knowledge, management abilities, and capacities to feel provide fathers with a sense of authority and pride. Importantly, in the interviews, it is indicated that men and women have similar emotional resources. Compared to their female partners or wives, men generally consider themselves capable of skillfully enacting emotional capital in their interactions with children.
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spelling doaj.art-8e171174767440b3917c9386a3325be42023-11-23T18:59:06ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602022-06-0111626110.3390/socsci11060261Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ NarrativesArturas Tereskinas0Department of Sociology, Vytautas Magnus University, Jonavos Str. 66-211, 44191 Kaunas, LithuaniaThe article examines Lithuanian middle-class fathers’ uses of emotional capital to learn which patterns of emotional engagement with children they employ in their fathering. Emotional capital is defined, in the article, as a type of interpersonal resource that consists of emotion-based knowledge and emotion-management abilities that can lead to social benefits. The 24 in-depth interviews with 35- to 48-year-old fathers show that males believe they are emotionally prepared to cope with their children’s concerns and challenges. The use of emotional capital is an attempt to strengthen their standing as fathers and gain pleasure. Emotional capital is activated by fathers regulating negative emotions and using positive emotions to speak with their children and form friendship bonds. Emotion-based knowledge, management abilities, and capacities to feel provide fathers with a sense of authority and pride. Importantly, in the interviews, it is indicated that men and women have similar emotional resources. Compared to their female partners or wives, men generally consider themselves capable of skillfully enacting emotional capital in their interactions with children.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/6/261emotional capitalemotion workfathersinvolved fatheringemotionsLithuania
spellingShingle Arturas Tereskinas
Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ Narratives
Social Sciences
emotional capital
emotion work
fathers
involved fathering
emotions
Lithuania
title Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ Narratives
title_full Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ Narratives
title_fullStr Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ Narratives
title_full_unstemmed Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ Narratives
title_short Emotional Capital and Its Uses in Lithuanian Middle-Class Fathers’ Narratives
title_sort emotional capital and its uses in lithuanian middle class fathers narratives
topic emotional capital
emotion work
fathers
involved fathering
emotions
Lithuania
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/6/261
work_keys_str_mv AT arturastereskinas emotionalcapitalanditsusesinlithuanianmiddleclassfathersnarratives