ABSTRACT
The chapter presents and analyses the results of a poster competition evaluating images of caring fathers in Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, a southern federal state in Austria. It explores the applied gender codes in images of fathers rewarded for caring as well as their perception and interpretation in the documented decision-making processes, which were summarized in a brochure. The results are intertwined with empirical research on caring fathers. Also discussed is the relevance of these gender codes for changing representations of masculinity and fatherhood in research and teaching.
The chapter reflects upon advertising’s perpetuation of traditional expectations of masculine social positioning. Although the posters are, indeed, meant to trigger the promotion of paternal leave practices and the enhancement of positive representations of caring fatherhood, the text methodically explores the media campaigns and public rewarding processes as procedures that simultaneously apply and criticize dominant male images. This status quo is investigated as an intermediary stage between overcoming binary gendered codes and realizing diverse and multifaceted care models and representations.
