ABSTRACT
Following the theoretical and empirical work of feminist studies on women, interest in men's lives and masculinities has grown during the last two decades. This chapter looks at fathers of young children combining paid work and family life in Finland. It focuses on the workplace level rather than in family relations. The possibilities and experiences of working fathers are presented in a theoretical context of the gender contract and gendering practices. Empirical findings are based on survey and interview material collected in the European Social Fund research and development project "Combining Work and Family Life" carried out by National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES) and the Work Research Centre at the University of Tampere in 1996-99. In the everyday life, however, many of the opportunities and possibilities offered by the welfare state family policy are not seized by men.
