A Paradigm Shift on Fathering

Women have had decades of science and socialization supporting their efforts to be better parents. Countless books, studies and research papers have focused on and supported women in their parenting. Unfortunately men haven’t been provided with the same support. In fact the expectation is that men will in fact be bumbling, clumsy parents. More likely to put the baby in a life threatening predicament than to properly change her diaper.

It’s time for that to change.

The Fathering Circle focuses on the need for healthy egalitarian parenting practices that do away with outdated gender specific roles and opens up all parents, both men and women to the full range of chores and joys associated with raising children for the benefit of the family. We believe that men and women should be equally prepared to not only create a child but to raise that child into a flourishing humane individual.

We achieve this by three different means:

• Peer to peer discussion circles
• Topic focused lectures, presentations and workshops
• Social events and activities for the whole family

The Fathering Circle uses art at the center of all our efforts to reach the emotional core of what it means to be a father or father figure. Through the use of choreography, film making, writing and acting we lead our men to a new, deeper understanding of what our women and children need from us.

The Fathering Circle began as part of the art as social justice exhibit known as Philadelphia Assembled #PhilAssembled in the Fall of 2016 under the “atmosphere” of Movement. The collaborators, Billy Yalowitz, Les Rivera and Eric Marsh Sr form the core circle of TFC. We envision The Fathering Circle as the stone dropped into the water of our world, sending out concentric circles of influence on fathers and families everywhere.