Fatherlessness seems to have instigated a growing political and social debate in recent years (Daniels, 1998). At the core of this debate lies the questions of whether fatherlessness today is more widespread than it has been historically, and whether the necessity and efficacy of fathers is important in the changing landscape of family paradigms (Daniels, 1998). In the last thirty years, research has defined fatherlessness in terms of parental marital status, father abandonment, and father death (Daniels, 1998; Gallagher, 1998; Popenoe, 1996). Some psychoanalysts extended the definition to include the emotional absence (Blundell, 2002), or emotional unavailability of the father (Lamb & Tamis-LeMonda, 2004). Research suggests that children raised by both biological parents have greater socio-economic success (McLanahan & Teitler, 1999), seem to have an intellectual advantage (Research Center for Minority Data, 2009), and are less prone to encounter emotional problems than single-parented children (Cockett and Tripp, 1994). These factors reflect the deficit model of fatherlessness that dominated child development research prior to the 1970s (Hawkins and Dollahite, 1997). More current research focused on the benefits of father involvement and purported that fathers who are more involved in the lives of their children (Day & Lamb, 2004; Pleck & Masciadrelli, 2004), and make themselves more emotionally available tend to raise children with fewer emotional problems and better overall mental health (Lum & Phares, 2005). With society producing what some refer to as a fatherless generation (Hydrate Studios, 2006), and a number of researchers attesting that fatherlessness is a devastating modern, social trend (Blackenhorn, 1995; Popenoe, 1996), current qualitative research was warranted in order to explore factors that lead fatherless individuals to assume a fatherless identity. In this exploratory case study, semi-structured interviews were conducted to better understand fatherlessness as experienced by adult male case study participants. The study focused on the experiences of men in order to manage the scope of research, and defer to the male experiences that prompted the research. Four men self-identified as fatherless with no imposed research definition by responding to the recruitment question Are You Fatherless? Results indicated that historical ways of defining fatherless were merely factors that intensify the experience; they do not define a person as fatherless. Findings suggested that the father role, family dynamics, emotionality, socio-economic and intellectual factors, disparate ideal and perceived father images, negative emotional connections with fathers, and a sons sense of masculinity all play a part in men assuming a fatherless identity.

This study examines the experiences of young adult women raised in non-resident father households in Tlokwe Local Municipality, North West. Focus groups and face- to-face interviews were conducted with 34 young women between the ages 18-25. Five important, nuanced themes emerged, these are: a) fathers who are physically present but emotionally absent, b) fathers who are physically present but uninvolved, c) fathers who are physically absent but involved, d) fathers who are physically present and involved and e) fathers who are absent and uninvolved. Non-resident fatherhood remains a challenge in the Tlokwe Municipality, most of the participants had never met their biological fathers. The study revealed the frustration young women feel towards their mothers and maternal grandparents for caring more about maintenance than they do about a healthy father-daughter relationship. The study further revealed a deep- seated need for close proximity and an involved type of fathering among the young women. / Sociology / M.A.(Sociology)

Thesis (M. A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The phenomenon of absent fathers continues to be one of the major social problems which affect families globally. This study has examined the experiences of adolescent boys who grow up without fathers in single-mother families in Bakenberg village in Limpopo Province. The objectives of this study were to establish the experiences of adolescent boys with absent fathers, to describe the challenges faced by adolescent boys in growing up without a father and to determine their understanding of the role and value of having a father. A qualitative approach was used for this study. This approach was complemented by the use of a descriptive phenomenological research design for its focus on lived human experiences and the meanings participants assigned to those experiences. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 18 adolescent boys through face-to-face interviews and as well as focus group discussions. The data collected was analysed using the thematic analysis method. The findings of this study showed that participants regarded fathers as an important figure in their lives and their families and his absence brought about financial challenges, poor academic progress, indulgence in alcohol and smoking brought about by negative outside influences as well as lack of immediate gender role model. The study also revealed that in the absence of fathers, these boys end up being compelled to play the role of the man in their families. For the participants in this study, other male figures such as uncles and grandfathers played a vital role in as far as gender specific roles and identity development is concerned. The study encourages more research into issues that impact negatively the children in one-parent families. The study also draws attention to the necessity to discover the reasons for the disintegration of the family structure, thereby highlighting a serious national and global problem which needs to be addressed for the health and well-being of our people because families form the foundation of a country‟s citizenry.

The aim of this study was to explore absent fathers' experiences. This involved determining absent fathers' conceptualisation of fatherhood, exploring the psychological well-being of absent fathers, and how absent fathers cope with being absent from their children‟s lives. An ecosystemic approach was employed as the epistemology to understand the participants in terms of organisation of their behaviour in social contexts. Qualitative research was used, and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the data. The research found that these fathers' experiences of being absent from their children's lives have negatively affected several aspects of their lives, both emotionally and behaviourally. Furthermore, the study concluded that fathers who are absent from their children‟s lives, while aware of the roles they need to play, seem unable to fulfil these roles. Lastly, the absent fathers revealed a tendency to react ambivalently towards their identities as fathers. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The single-parent, female-headed household is a global phenomenon. In a patriarchal society such as South Africa, the absence of a father figure in the family place mothers in the unenviable position of having to play a double role, namely that of mother as well as the head of the family. The role of absent fathers in the at-riskness of adolescent boys is under researched in South Africa. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of ten adolescent boys who are growing up in father absent homes. The participants were from a low socio-economic area of the Western Cape, and high school pupils who were purposively selected from Grades 8, 9 and 10. A qualitative research methodology was used and data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews, a focus group discussion and the construction of collages. The findings showed that adolescent boys face many challenges in their development when they grow up without a strong male role model. These ten adolescents seemed to struggle with discipline issues at school as well as at home. They are at a vulnerable age, and at risk of making decisions that would be devastating to their futures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die enkelouer, vrou-as-hoof huishouding is ‟n globale fenomeen. In ‟n patriargale samelewing soos Suid-Afrika plaas die afwesigheid van ‟n vader in die gesin ma‟s in ‟n situasie waar hulle dubbele rolle moet vertolk, naamlik as ma sowel as hoof van die gesin. Die rol van die afwesige pa in die bevordering van riskantheid by adolessente seuns is nog nie voldoende nagevors nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die persepsies en ervaringe van tien adolessente seuns uit huise met afwesige vaders in te verken en te beskryf. Die deelnemers was uit ‟n lae sosio-ekonomiese area van die Wes-Kaap en doelgerig uit Grade 8, 9 en 10 geselekteer. ‟n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik en data is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, ‟n fokusgroepgesprek en die konstruksie van ‟n kollage ingesamel. Die bevindinge toon dat adolessente seuns baie uitdaging ervaar tydens hul ontwikkelingssfase wanneer hulle opgroei sonder ‟n sterk manlike rolmodel. Die tien adolessente sukkel met dissipline by die skool sowel as tuis. Hulle is ‟n brose ouderdom en loop die gevaar om besluite te neem wat hulle toekoms kan vernietig.

The aim of this study was to explore absent fathers' experiences. This involved determining absent fathers' conceptualisation of fatherhood, exploring the psychological well-being of absent fathers, and how absent fathers cope with being absent from their children‟s lives. An ecosystemic approach was employed as the epistemology to understand the participants in terms of organisation of their behaviour in social contexts. Qualitative research was used, and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the data. The research found that these fathers' experiences of being absent from their children's lives have negatively affected several aspects of their lives, both emotionally and behaviourally. Furthermore, the study concluded that fathers who are absent from their children‟s lives, while aware of the roles they need to play, seem unable to fulfil these roles. Lastly, the absent fathers revealed a tendency to react ambivalently towards their identities as fathers. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)