Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--Rhodes University, 2002. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on May 5, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on October 22, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

This collection attempts to answer the question “What is a story?” by presenting ten stories of characters who, in their attempts to do the right thing, either make things worse or create larger problems for themselves and their objects of affection. Inside, one will find the use of embedded storytelling, the implication of place and bystander, the exploration of violence as the last tool of the frustrated, failed attempts at redemption, and not too few dogs, some of which don’t even die.

abstract: Research suggests that early family relationships have critical influences on later physical and psychological health, but most studies have focused on the influence of mothers ignoring the unique impacts of fathers. One mechanism by which families may transmit risk is by repeated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the short-term that leads to adult neurobiological dysregulaton, evident in hyper- or hypo-cortisol levels. Using 218 father-child dyads from the Parent and Youth Study (PAYS), the current study investigated whether father involvement in adolescence predicted youth cortisol AUCg and reactivity to a stress task in young adulthood, and whether this relation was mediated by youth perceptions of mattering to their fathers in adolescence. Results revealed that higher father-reported father involvement predicted lower cortisol AUCg in youth when mattering was included in the model, although father involvement was not a statistically significant predictor of AUCg or cortisol reactivity when mattering was not included. Additionally, children who reported higher father involvement also reported higher feelings of mattering, but this association was only statistically significant for girls and European American youth. Youth feelings of mattering did not predict their cortisol reactivity or AUCg in young adulthood. Results suggest that future research should include fathers when investigating the effects of family relationships on youth psychophysiological development. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2015

M.A. / The aim of this research is to gain insight into the unemployed father’s experience of disciplining his children. The motivation for this research is multifaceted. Research trends, nationally and internationally, have shown an increased focus on the fathers’ role in the lives of their children (Burbach, Fox & Nicholson, 2004; Goldberg, Tan & Thorsen, 2009; Smit, 2004). Research examining the father is on the up rise as the value of understanding the father, his role and his impact on his children has come to the forefront. Paternal discipline appears to influence the child and the child’s behaviour, while contextual factors such as poverty or unemployment appear to have an impact on the father. It is therefore useful to develop insight and understanding into the unemployed father’s experience of disciplining his child. The researcher asks a single research question “how does the unemployed father experience disciplining his children?” The researcher chose a single broad question with the hope that the interviews would guide the process and several smaller questions would arise during the research process. Knowledge of the father’s own sense of his role, perception, knowledge and understanding will aid policy makers and service providers. To the researcher’s knowledge there is currently no South African study that examines the unemployed father’s perceptions and experience of disciplining his children. For this reason a phenomenological method, in particular, Merleau-Ponty’s method, is used. This method allows an exploration of the father’s perceptions and experience, eliciting understanding and developing insight. Additionally, this research aims to generate questions and issues for further research. The research is introduced with a brief look at the philosophical aspects of phenomenology, outlining the main characteristics of Merleau-Ponty’s approach. Following this, the approach and its application to the research are discussed. Scientific rigour is important in any research project. This research study attempts to demonstrate rigour through credibility, dependability and transferability. Bracketing is also an essential component of phenomenological research which has been included to ensure scientific rigour and reduce researcher bias. Nevertheless, the existential phenomenological approach follows the proposition that the researcher can never be truly removed from the research. It is therefore important for the researcher’s process to be explicated throughout the research process. The researcher kept a research journal in order to bracket and rigorously reflect on the entire research process, and promote rigour.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Fatherhood is a role that is understood and exercised differently, but to most it infers a responsibility to provide and protect. Fatherhood is associated with manhood, in the sense that a man is expected to take on the role of fatherhood. The relationship between manhood and fatherhood is: the physical act of begetting a child (manhood) and the processes of accepting, as well as, performing, the role of a father (fatherhood). A paternal identity, or a man’s identity as a father, comprises of all the internalized expectations of behaviour that he has associated with being a father (e.g. being a breadwinner, being a caregiver). In the Western world, it is widely accepted that a man becomes a father when he impregnates a woman; however, masculinity is neither biologically determined nor automatic. There are many different, culturally sanctioned ways, of being a man; not only one universal masculinity. It can therefore be presumed that masculinity/fatherhood/manhood is acted or performed. This study focuses on biological fathers, instead of the broader concept of father figures. Any male can fulfil the role of a father figure to a child and take responsibility for rearing a child, but biological fathers indicate a blood relationship and a biological connection. A paternal father also retains his status as a biological parent of a child, regardless of the level of subsequent contact or involvement in the child’s life. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of the partners and adolescent children, when biological fathers are incarcerated. In order to do this, an assessment of the biological father’s experiences, in prison, is first implemented. Paternal incarceration places a strain on families, especially children, who experience parent-child separation. The unexpected separation of a child from the parent can be linked to various emotional consequences. Incarceration limits fathers ‘familial involvement and parenting capacity’, thereby compromising family relationships. Incarcerated fathers are separated from their partners and children, which limits family contact in many ways, weakening familial bonds, not only while time is being served, but also after release. The incarcerated man also experiences a sense of insignificance, being devalued as a person and powerless.A qualitative research approach was used to explore the objectives of the study. Purposive sampling was used to select twenty incarcerated participants for this research. Due to the strict selection criteria, only fourteen (14) were eventually chosen to participate in the study. Their fourteen (14) spouses/partners and biological adolescents were also expected to participate, however, only four (4) partners, one (1) significant carer and 5 adolescents formed part of the sample for this study, due to some partners not wanting to expose their adolescents, nor their personal details, to scrutiny and others simply not being interested to participate. Data was collected by using semi-structured interviews with face-to-face interaction, open-ended questions (with fathers) and focus discussion groups (with the partners, significant carer and adolescents). Although the theoretical framework focuses on Attachment Theory, the study also considers other principles of criminological theories, regarding the identified increase in child disruptive and criminal behaviour, caused by parental incarceration. A thematic data analysis approach was used to extract themes. The main findings of this study show that the fathers experienced difficulties with maintaining their role as a father prior to, and after, incarceration. They were concerned about the financial adversity their families had to endure when they were imprisoned and the mothers/partners being forced into single parenthood. They also felt excluded from all decision-making processes and isolated from the development of their children. The partners experienced financial difficulties, loneliness and humiliation, as a result of the biological father’s incarceration. The significant carer, who was involved as a result of the biological mother not being able to fulfill the caring role, identified the problems experienced as financial difficulties, lack of child-care support and, in some cases, the substance abuse of the biological mother. The separation affected the adolescent children psychologically, when they were exposed to the stigma attached to having a father, who was incarcerated. They also identified feelings of abandonment because of the lack of a father-child relationship and being deprived of opportunities to share important events and personal achievements with their biological father.

No description available.

Single-parent households are on the increase in our society and especially single-father households where fathers are fulfilling the role of both parents in rearing their children. In this qualitative study, three single fathers who are primary caregivers were interviewed regarding their experience of primary caregiving, adjusting and coping with the transition to primary caregiving and their needs and concerns for their children's future. This study utilised a phenomenological approach to look at single fathers as the best and most informed individuals to explore and describe their lived experiences of being primary caregivers. The rationale for using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) is that it is concerned with individuals' subjective reports and assumes that participants seek to interpret their experiences into some form that is understandable to them. The researcher utilised three semi-structured, in depth, face-to-face interviews as a method of data collection. Each interview focused on eliciting different sets of data, firstly the researcher look at identifying the participants' experience of primary care giving, then moved onto their adjusting and coping with the transition and finally focused on the primary needs and concerns of participants with regards to primary care giving. The sub-themes that emerged from the study include the loss of a partner, shifts in the role the fathers play as parent, dealing with children's reaction to the "loss" of a mother in the home, good parenting: biology vs upbringing, social construction of men and woman, the value of self-care for single fathers, where self-care incorporates both physical and mental care, internal support from family or friends, external support from the community, relationship between fathers and children and sibling relationships. These led to the various super-ordinate themes. The super-ordinate themes and categories that resulted from the analysis of the material include: (1) The transition to being a single-parent and primary caregiver was difficult, (2) Parenting is not biological it is cultural and fathers can fulfil the role, (3) Self-care is important, (4) Support comes from family and friends but social support is rare, (5) Close family relationships are formed

AFRIKAANS: Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek aspekte van kinderregte met die doel om die huidige status daarvan te analiseer en moontlike aanbevelings te maak. Meer spesifiek word daar na die aspekte van aanneming, die posisie van die natuurlike vader en die kind se reg op afkomskennis gefokus. Die metodiek wat gevolg word is dié van 'n aanvanklike bestudering van die relevante• statute, regspraak en verslae wat die huidige posisie van bogenoemde aspekte in Suid-Afrika weergee ten einde die posisie te vergelyk met die in ander regstelsels. Met die benadering verander die doel van die verhandeling van 'n blote versameling regsreëls en dies meer in 'n regsvergelykende studie wat ten doel het om die heersende posisie in Suid-Afrika krities te kan evalueer. ENGLISH: In this dissertation aspects of children's rights are investigated with the aim of presenting the current situation and making several recommendations which would improve the current position of children. The aspects of adoption, the position of the natural father and the right of the child to knowledge of lineage are focused on in more detail. The methodology used starts by presenting an initial study of all relevant statutes, legal authority, court decisions/rulings and legal reports in order to allow for the comparison of the current position of the above mentioned aspects in South Africa with the position in other countries. By following this methodology, the purpose of the dissertation changes from just being a collection of legal rules amongst others to being a comparative legal study which strives to critically evaluate the current position in South Africa. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Private Law / unrestricted

The present study examines how mothering and fathering impact child academic outcomes in divorced and intact families, and if there are unique influences of mothering and fathering variables for sons and daughters. An ethnically diverse sample of 1,714 university students from Florida International University (n=1371) and Florida State University (n=343) responded to measures on a questionnaire that included the Nurturant Fathering and Mothering Scales (Finley & Schwartz, 2004; Schwartz & Finley, 2005; Finley & Schwartz, 2006), the Mother and Father Involvement Scales (Finley, Mira, & Schwartz, 2008), demographic measures, and academic outcome measures. In intact families, mothering and fathering variables were significantly correlated with each other, and positively correlated with child academic outcomes including grades, GPA, academic satisfaction, and academic importance. In divorced families, mothering and fathering variables were not correlated with each other. Furthermore, when analyzing divorced families, significant effects were found for both parent and child gender. Mothering variables were found to have the greatest positive impact for sons’ academic outcomes. Maternal nurturance and maternal involvement were correlated positively with academic outcomes for sons from divorced families and accounted for 3-4% of the unique variance explained. Consistently, desired mother involvement, how much involvement the child wished they had received, was negatively correlated with academic outcomes for sons from divorced families and accounted for 10-15% of the unique variance explained. This means that when the amount of maternal involvement that sons in divorced families received matched or exceeded their desired level of involvement, sons had more positive academic outcomes including grades, GPA, satisfaction with academics and academic importance. This suggests that in intact family forms, nurturant and involved mothering and fathering have a positive effect on academic outcomes for sons and daughters. In divorced family forms, the effects of fathering on child academic outcomes were not significant. Therefore, in divorced families, the positive effects fathering on academic outcomes of sons and daughters drop out, and mothers are uniquely important for sons’ academic success.