I was a bit surprised at the turn that Laquer's article, "The Facts of Fatherhood," took as it developed.  I suppose his look at the historical viewpoints of motherhood and fatherhood (and the transitions/changes both words/identities have endured) is extremely interesting in comparison to how the definitions of motherhood and fatherhood are viewed now (as expressed fairly clearly by Arlie Hochschild's anecdotal accounts in The Second Shift), yet I think he failed to make a very strong point about fatherhood and its meaning -- especially where he would like to see it, and how he would like other fathers to embody that position.  Maybe it was wrong of me to expect that from him, yet I do think -- after reading the Nicholson, Hochschild, and Laquer's readings (unfortunately, Brooks' poem doesn't really fit into my post), it seems obvious that this unsolved issue between traditional/alternative (right/wrong?) roles and structures truly needs to be addressed as we progress into the 21st century.  Why does the government refuse to recognize the changing shape of American families -- where does this implied need to hold on to the "traditional" family structure stem from?  How do we view and confront the definitions of father/motherhood so that individuals can truly embody the responsibilities as a professional and as a parent (equally?)?  Where is the space for -- as take from an extremely early reading this semester -- the "new man's movement," and how do we -- as a society -- encourage its development?