Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Fatherhood and masculinity have been studied globally, and these constructs are used to make sense of a variety of realities of men. In South Africa, traditional constructions of fatherhood and masculinity persist. Given the unique history of men in South Africa, it allows researchers to investigate a plethora of phenomena relating to how men experience them, including fatherhood. Having a premature baby is fraught with medical and physical problems, which disrupts the fathers’ transition to fatherhood. The experience of the transition to parenthood is exacerbated by the sudden premature birth of a child, which leaves fathers and mothers particularly vulnerable to intense emotional experiences. Much has been documented about fathers’ subjective experiences of pregnancy, as well as fathers’ experiences of having a premature infant.

This study examines how family socialization and religiosity are associated with young men's intention to someday become a father. Data from the National Survey of Families and Households are used to measure the influence of family connection, family regulation, family psychological autonomy and public and private religiosity on young men's fatherhood intentions. Family connection and private religiosity are associated with young men's fatherhood plans.

I en ny kontext där en berövas på sin vanliga sociala interaktion kan ensamhetskänslor uppstå. Att få barn är en annan omställning som kan ge ensamhetskänslor. Vad händer i mötespunkten av dessa två faktorer som kan leda till ensamhetskänslor? Och hur hanterar män dessa känslor? Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer har åtta män mellan 26 och 40 år delat med sig av sina upplevelser av ensamhet under föräldraledighet. Majoriteten av männen upplevde ensamhet under sin föräldraledighet i någon grad. Med tre teman som ”mäns upplevda ensamhet”, ”barncentrerat tänk” och ”copingstrategier” samt 11 underteman besvarar studien mer ingående hur män upplever ensamhet och hanterar dessa känslor under sin föräldraledighet. Det finns variation i hur mycket männen upplever ensamhet, vissa av männen känner sig exkluderade vid aktiviteter som mammaträning och brist på föräldrastöd från barnhälsovården. Gemensamt för männen är hur livet fått en annan meningsfullhet med barn och barnets bästa ligger ofta i fokus. / In a new context, where one is deprived of their regular social interactions, feelings of loneliness may occur. Having children is another adjustment that can lead to feelings of loneliness. What happens when these two factors meet? Through semi structured interviews eight men between the ages of 26 and 40 shared their experiences of loneliness during their parental leaves. The majority of the men experienced feelings of loneliness to some degree. Through the three themes "mens perceived loneliness", "child centered thinking" and "coping strategies" in addition to eleven sub-themes, the study provides more detailed information on how men experience and handle feelings of loneliness while on parental leave. There are variations to what extent the men experience loneliness. A common denominator for all the men is the feeling that life has a different meaning after having children, and that the childs best interest is the main focus.

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The literature on desistance and crime-prevention finds that paternal engagement is correlated with increased self-esteem, and decreased delinquency, criminality and recidivism for both fathers and children (Holmes et al., 2012; James, 2015; Makariev & Shaker, 2010; Martinez, DeGarmo, & Eddy, 2004; Visher et al., 2011). While there is a breadth of research examining the collateral consequences of justice-involvement, such as employer discrimination and housing insecurity, there remains a dearth of literature exploring how these consequences specifically impact fathering. Because paternal engagement has implications for public safety, it is imperative to identify the personal and environmental factors that facilitate or challenge paternal engagement and the ways that paternal identity construction influences how fathers engage with their children. The current study employs a strengths-based perspective that acknowledges broader contextual forces that can impact marginalized fathers and explores the process of paternal identity construction and enactment within a novel framework that integrates perspectives from bioecological theory and identity theory. In particular, it investigates the ways young Black fathers navigate and adapt to different barriers to fathering, with a specific focus on police encounters and hypersurveillance. The research design comprises a qualitative approach that begins with a narrative inquiry interview followed by a subsequent interview that expands on themes discovered during the narrative inquiry. The study draws from interviews with 50 Black fathers between the ages of 25-34, with at least one biological child, living in the 19143 zip code of Philadelphia. Guided by the Dynamic Identity Construction and Enactment (DICE) model, the current study finds that social interactions with family, community, and criminal justice agents; internalized images of fathers and police in the media; and historical phenomena, such as mass incarceration and the crack epidemic cumulatively impact both paternal identity construction and fathering behavior for young Black men living in Southwest Philadelphia. This study suggests the use of the DICE model in research with marginalized communities, as it engenders a strengths-based lens by exploring both individual and contextual influences on individuals and communities. Findings also suggest (a) a reframing of deviance, (b) the use of person-first language in order to lessen the stigma of a criminal record (i.e. using terms such as “incarcerated individuals” instead of “inmates”), (c) increased non-law related interactions between police and community members in order to enhance familiarity and assuage fear on both ends, (d) a shift towards community corrections in order for fathers to remain active in their children’s lives, and (e) a greater focus on community-based coparenting programs in order to ensure that fathers maintain access to their children. / Criminal Justice

Some Names for Empty Space is a collection of poems that considers how poetry and language operate to define human experience, reconciling the 'empty spaces' between the self and the abstracted variables of all things. The poems here often find their impetus in fatherhood and a parent's efforts to explain the world to a child.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo conhecer e analisar as vivências e os significados em torno da paternidade, durante a adolescência, para homens que vivenciaram esse fenômeno, buscando identificar os significados atribuídos por esses homens a essa vivência, reconhecer em suas vivências relativas à sexualidade e à reprodução como se operam as relações de gênero e distinguir como percebem as influências familiares frente ao processo de gravidez e paternidade adolescentes. A pesquisa foi realizada com sete homens na faixa etária de 21 a 34 anos de idade que foram pais entre 14 e 19 anos, moradores de bairros periféricos de Cuiabá-MT, no período de março a maio de 2004. Considerando o objeto de estudo, foi utilizado o recurso da pesquisa qualitativa empregando a técnica de história de vida para realizar o levantamento de dados. Ao final da coleta de informações, tínhamos aproximadamente 200 folhas de informações que foram trabalhadas com a aplicação da técnica de análise de conteúdo baseada na proposta de Romeu Gomes. Com a técnica de análise de conteúdo, identificamos três núcleos temáticos que são: paternidade na adolescência: vivências e significados atribuídos; adolescência: vivências e exercício da sexualidade e reprodução a partir das relações de gênero; influências familiares nas vivências relativas aos processos da gravidez e paternidade na adolescência. Após a análise dos dados, concluimos que o exercício da paternidade por adolescentes conforma-se como uma experiência positiva, plena de emoções, e que, se vivenciada em sua plenitude, cultivando os afetos, vivenciando o cuidar, o educar e o tocar resultará em uma relação transformadora para jovens em processo de desenvolvimento. / The author aimed at learning about the meanings of fatherhood during adolescence for men who had this experience. This study looked at identifying the meanings for men who had this experience, the meanings they give to this phenomenon, identifying their experiences related to sexuality and reproduction as well as their gender relations and how they perceive the family influences regarding the pregnancy process and fatherhood. Seven men from 21 to 34 years of age who were fathers from 14 to 19 years of age participated in the study. They lived in a suburb of the city of Cuiabá-MT. Data were collected from March to May, 2004. Considering that the object of this study was used as a resource of a qualitative research, the author used the life history technique in order to collect data. In the end of the data collection process, the author had 200 pages of information that were analyzed based on the content analysis technique proposed by Romeu Gomes. The content analysis resulted in three thematic groups: fatherhood in adolescence: experiences and meanings; adolescence: experiences, sexuality and reproduction considering gender relations; family influences in experiences related to pregnancy and fatherhood in adolescence. Findings showed that the fatherhood in adolescence can be a positive experience, full of emotions if completely experienced, enabling men to experience the care, education and touch resulting in a relation of transformation for adolescents who are in a developing process.

by Cheung Pui Sze. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [130-134]). / List of Tables --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgments --- p.iii / Chapter Chapter One: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter Two: --- Literature Review --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter Three: --- Social Conditions and Meanings of Being Parents --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter Four: --- Organization of Parenthood --- p.47 / Chapter Chapter Five: --- Experiences of Motherhood and Fatherhood --- p.87 / Chapter Chapter Six: --- Conclusion --- p.121 / Appendix A / Appendix B / Bibliography

This is a pioneering study on the construction of fatherhood in the socio-cultural context of Hong Kong. Fatherhood is constructed socially and culturally, reflected in the thinking and practice of fathers. It is defined by, and simultaneously reproduces masculinity. In this study, fatherhood is critically examined using practice theory and the concept of gender performativity. The fieldwork, carried out from 2004 to 2006, consisted primarily of participant observation in men's groups, and interviews, in particular, in-depth interviews with 30 heterosexual biological fathers from different walks of life. This study finds that fatherhood in Hong Kong is constructed within the patriarchal ideology and structure across the societal, organizational, and individual levels. Patriarchy is rooted in the history of Hong Kong and continues to exist in contemporary society. In both the colonial and post-colonial periods, notions of masculinity and fatherhood in Hong Kong are seen to be extremely conservative and they highlight the role of the state in the adoption and reproduction of patriarchal ideology. While changes towards gender equality have occurred slowly after long-term struggle, a coherent gender policy has been lacking. This has contributed to a socio-cultural environment that encourages the naturalization and normalization of the patriarchal structure and practices in the family. The recent development of the "new good men" notion (in which men were redefined to be loving husbands, and caring fathers who shared housework and were involved with children) was found to be a front and was utilized as a means to resurrect men's power and status in the family. Three main paternal responsibilities were identified, namely economic provision, education, as well as establishing and maintaining a child-oriented family through marriage. In carrying out these responsibilities, men enjoyed the privileges and hegemony legitimized in the social structure. Failure in fulfilling the structural requirements resulted in the disruption of paternal power and masculinity but not subversion to the hegemonic structure. / Liong, Chan Ching Mario. / Adviser: Siumi Maria Tam. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-04, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 346-375). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.