The Experience of Perinatal Parenthood and the Construction of Paternal Identity

On a theoretical level, this article aims to categorize the increasingly large
body of work that exists on fatherhood in order to gain a better understanding of the psychic aspects involved in
this stage of development. In a second time, the authors expose two case studies of a clinical research on the
transition processes among first-time fathers. The subjects were 25 Greek men of an average age of 30, who
were to become father and who participated to a semi-directive interview before and after the birth of their first
child. The interviews explored the psychosocial and intrapsychic dynamics regarding the construction of
paternal identity. KEY WORDS: Fatherhood, paternity, first-time fathers, identity construction, intrapsychic and
psychosocial processes.