Constructing Care: Men, Masculinity, Fatherhood, and Gender Equality in the Australian Commonwealth

Project Abstract (Data Management Plan)This doctoral research examines how Australian Commonwealth gender equality policy constructs men, masculinity, and fatherhood in relation to work and care. While gender equality policy has historically focused on improving outcomes for women, growing interdisciplinary scholarship suggests that equality outcomes are also shaped by how institutions conceptualise men and caregiving roles. The project therefore analyses policy as a site of institutional meaning-making rather than evaluating policy effectiveness or individual actors. The study adopts an anthropology-of-policy approach combining three qualitative data sources: (1) analysis of publicly available Commonwealth legislation, strategies, and policy documents; (2) semi-structured interviews with approximately 10–15 Australian policymakers and 8–10 international experts speaking in their professional capacity; and (3) analysis of publicly accessible media and digital discourse from the past five years. Interviews (60–90 minutes) will be audio-recorded with consent, transcribed, and thematically analysed. Data collection focuses on professional reasoning, policy categorisation, and institutional framing rather than personal experiences or private beliefs. The project does not assess agencies, individuals, or policy success. Instead, it identifies patterns in how policy frameworks categorise men, work, and caregiving across institutional contexts. No sensitive personal or clinical data will be collected, and the research does not involve vulnerable populations or private online communities. Findings will contribute to a doctoral thesis and scholarly publications while maintaining confidentiality protections.