For many years the focus of research on child well-being and development has been primarily on the dynamics of the mother-child relationship. The mother was seen as the more influential parent as she spends more time with the children. The father’s role in the development process was thus undermined. Fortunately research on the father’s involvement in a child’s life has improved over the past thirty years. Where previously fathers were mostly perceived as the breadwinners and providers they are now also considered as being caregivers who are more closely involved with their children and the accompanying responsibilities. Research indicates the importance of a father’s role in child development and has found that the intellectual, emotional and social development of a child is influenced by the father. The most beneficial circumstances for children to grow up in is where both of the biological parents are part of the household, satisfied with their marital relationship and loving towards their children. Unfortunately there is a significant increase in South African families where the father is absent and where the mother is burdened with additional responsibilities. However, a father can be emotionally absent despite physical proximity and emotionally absent fathers can be included when describing fatherlessness due to the destructive effect it has on children. Some research indicates that a father is the most significant factor in his daughter’s life and the quality of their relationship influences her personality and general well-being in life. Most literature focusing on the paternal parenting role is more focused on the father-son dyad, the least studied parent-adult child dyad is that of adult daughters and fathers. A great number of research studies on the subjects of divorce, single parents, physically absent fathers and the resulting effects on males are available. Much less literature, especially in the South African context, can be found to focus on and explain the experiences of young adult women who grew up with an emotionally absent father. The aim of the study was thus to explore the subjective experiences of young adult women who grew up with an emotionally absent father. A qualitative research method was used with a phenomenological approach as research design. Eleven voluntary, 20-31 year old adult women, participated in the study and were recruited by word of mouth. Data were collected through in-depth interviews that were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcribed data were analysed by means of thematic analysis from which themes and sub-themes were derived. Two main themes with sub-themes were identified. It was found that the participants experienced their fathers as emotionally absent because it was difficult to share their emotions with them, the participants' fathers did not show affection or express their love. They showed no interest, approval or acknowledgement and the participants found it difficult to trust their fathers. According to the participants their relationships with other men were influenced because of this. They further struggled with trusting other people and suffered from a low self-esteem. Due to repressed emotions they did not portray their true self and sought their fathers’ approval by doing things he liked. / MA (Clinical Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study is an investigation of factors which determine father involvement in infant caretaking activities. Concerns involved fathers' past parental relationships, fathers' preparation for childbirth, sex of the infant, complexity of the caretaking task, fathers' participation in childbirth, fathers' desire for a male or female infant, and amount of early physical contact between father and infant. Data indicated significant relationships between father participation and the sex of the child, complexity of the caretaking activity, and amount of early physical contact between the father and infant. Data indicated no significant relationships between father participation and fathers' past parental relationships, fathers' preparation for childbirth, fathers' participation in childbirth, and fathers' desires for a male or female infant.

Children with absent and unknown fathers (also referred to as undisclosed paternal identity) have distinctly been identified as an interest group due to their increased risk to adverse psychological effects specifically associated with not knowing one’s biological father. It is taken for granted that these children have the freedom of asking their mothers and female caregivers who their fathers are, not taking into account that often there is a tacit rule within these homes whereby the biological father is never discussed. The aim of this exploratory study was to use narratives of mothers and guardians who have children under their care who do not know their true fathers’ identities, in order to explore the range of probable reasons that contribute to maternal caregivers not disclosing the identity of biological fathers. Eight face-to-face, individual interviews were conducted with female participants from varying cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds within the Johannesburg area. The women aged between 33 and 60 years were recruited with the assistance of a non-governmental organisation and from online forums. Interviews were conducted in English or a language that the participants understood and lasted on average an hour. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed text. The study was undertaken using an interpretive approach that explored the phenomenon of the participants' lived experience of not disclosing. A gendered analysis provided a distanciated framework to review the findings against current societal arrangements. Findings indicated that mothers not disclosing could be linked to the fathers’ behaviour such as inconsistent commitment to the paternal role, denial of paternity and at times, whereabouts were not known limiting what could be conveyed to the children. For this particular study, the nature of the relationship, which is often characterised by the instability of the parents’ relationship at the time of the birth, and subsequent separation, seemed to be a risk factor that a child may not be told who their true father is. Gender-based violence was also found to be contributing to the separation between parents and this in turn created an opportunity for the uninvolved fathers to be absent and unknown to the children. The cultural script that silences women’s experiences of gender-based violence means that father absence that resulted from the violence was difficult to talk about in the homes. The data also gave insight into the differential experiences among the women when dealing with absent, unknown whereabouts and absconded fathers. Although this study was conducted on an exploratory basis, it is suggested that continuous engagement with this topic through research and public discourse would best define how to address the issue. The findings suggest a need to provide mothers who may be considering disclosure with strategies on how to disclose. There is also a broader need to address structural issues that may be contributing towards the phenomenon such as men's violence towards their families.

Parent involvement in education (PI) is widely documented to benefit children’s educational outcomes. PI is a multidimensional construct that takes many different forms. This study considered three dimensions of PI: Home-Based Involvement, School-Based Involvement, and Home-School Communication. Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler have created a theoretical model that seeks to explain what motivates parents to engage in PI and the mechanisms by which PI benefits children’s educational outcomes. However, research studies that have used Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s model used samples that consisted primarily of mothers with fathers typically representing less than 10% of the sample. Father involvement in education has been shown to benefit children’s educational outcomes over and above the involvement of mothers. However, there is little known about the PI practices in which fathers engage, or what motivates fathers to engage in PI. Using Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s model, this study aimed to investigate fathers’ PI practices, as well as the variables that motivate fathers to engage in PI. An online survey was conducted and 185 fathers completed the survey in full. Results of the survey suggest that fathers engaged most often in Home-Based Involvement, less in Home-School Communication, and least often in School-Based Involvement practices. Fathers’ belief that it is their role to engage in PI (role construction) and requests from the child to engage in PI consistently explained all three types of PI. Other variables that significantly explained Home-Based Involvement included the father’s biological relationship with the child, and whether the father lived with the child’s mother. School-Based Involvement was significantly explained by father’s perceptions of available time and energy and their biological relationship to the child. The ultimate purpose of this study was to provide educators with information they can use to successfully increase fathers’ PI practices for students at their schools. / text

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1979.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1979.

No description available.

INTRODUCTION: Father support has recently been associated with increasing breastfeeding rates, but there is limited research on how the American father’s perspective of breastfeeding rates affect those rates. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the perspective American fathers have on breastfeeding and understand if it contributed to mothers’ decisions to initiate and continue exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months. METHODS: This study analyzed 10 semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with both fathers and mothers of ever-breastfeed infants at least six months of age. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and openly coded to identify common themes, and then analyzed using principles of grounded theory. RESULTS: Results suggested that mothers were often the lead decision makers in the decision to breastfeed based on her prepartum knowledge of breastfeeding and its benefits. Many fathers had no prepartum perspective of breastfeeding, though they were not opposed to it. Those fathers who had prepartum opinions about breastfeeding traced their beliefs about breastfeeding to their families’ cultures or traditions. DISCUSSION: Data suggested that among this population of 30 – 44 year old educated, heterosexual married couples breastfeeding was common, but the recent increasing rates may not necessarily be influenced by the American father's perspective of breastfeeding.

It was the purpose of this study to determine whether the early loss of the father is conducive to injury of personality development of boys and girls, which injury may still be evident in late adolescence, the crucial time in life when educational, vocational and other important decisions are being made.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2004.