台灣性別工作平等法規未限定育嬰假僅能由夫妻其中一方申請，但男女申請育嬰留職人數差異極大。過去文獻指出，此根源於父職角色仍受文化和性別機制形塑。由於「男子氣概」是規範男性在各種場合展現合宜行為的重要準則，如何協助男性突破傳統男子氣概形塑的父職角色框架，提高其申請育嬰假的意願，為本研究關注焦點。因此，本研究以男子氣概為視角，分析育嬰留職男性的父職經驗，瞭解其男子氣概內涵和男子氣概與父職角色的連結關係。 本研究共訪談 10名高雄市政府各單位曾申請育嬰留職、且已回到職場的男性公務人員，並分析訪談文本。本研究發現有三：一、育嬰留職男性的男子氣概，是一種「照顧」男子氣概，並可分為「全力照顧型」和「兼顧工作型」兩種父職角色類型；二、職業保障和男女薪資平等，是實踐「照顧」男子氣概的社會基礎；三、當男性申請育嬰留職照顧孩子時，有助於減輕女性產後負荷，使其順利復原。因此，性別平等和父職培養是一體兩面的工作，均有助於落實男性申請育嬰留職停薪。 本研究建議有三：一、正向探究和倡導「照顧」男子氣概；二、持續改革人力市場，扭轉職場性別不平等；三、提供男性有薪父職假，鼓勵夫妻共同照顧，降低女性照顧負荷。

In Taiwan, the Act of Gender Equality in Employment allows a parent of either sex to apply for parental leave; however, the parental leave numbers differ significantly between males and females. According to the literature, the problem is that fatherhood attributes are still shaped by cultural and gender institutions. Because masculinity is the main standard proscribing male behaviors in any setting, this study has focused on how to assist males in breaking through the fatherhood framework as constricted by traditional notions of masculinity. Therefore, this study adopted a masculinity perspective to explore the experience of parental leave of male civil servants, to understand the meaning of masculinity, and to determine the relationship between masculinity and fatherhood. Ten in-depth interviews with male civil servants employed by Kaohsiung City Government who had applied for parental leave were conducted, and data analysis adopted a thematic approach. There were three major findings. Firstly, the masculinity of a male who applies for parental leave is called “caring masculinity”, and that masculinity is connected to “full-time fatherhood” and “balancing family and work fatherhood”. Secondly, both work protection and gender equity in salary are the social infrastructure that makes “caring masculinity” practicable. Thirdly, any male applying for parental leave contributes to decreasing the postnatal burden and facilitating female recovery. In other words, gender equity and fostering paternity are two sides to one coin, and both are conducive to men applying for parental leave without salary. This study makes three suggestions: firstly, a positive approach to exploring and advocating “caring masculinity” should be adopted. Secondly, reform of the labor market and reversal of gender inequity in the workplace should be continued. Thirdly, paid paternity leave would be effective in encouraging couples to care for children collectively and thus decrease the care burden for women.