Abstract
Our study explores the ways through which individuals attempt to navigate shifting identities, and the influence of intersecting organisational and private spheres during a period of identity transition. We approach this question through focusing on a critical life event: becoming a parent. Within parenthood, we specifically examine fathers living and working in the UK, who are caught between societal norms, work constraints, family and personal aspirations, and broader conversations on gender (in)equalities at home and in the workplace. We focus our investigation on fathers’ experiences of paternity leave, which represents a period of identity transition towards nascent fatherhood. Our preliminary findings bring attention to the tensions between the influence of organisational cultures, the difficulties of traversing and reconciling existing work identities with those of ‘father’, and the forging and negotiation of emerging paternal identities in private spheres.