This study explored personal perceptions and experiences of first-time fatherhood in order to explore how young men (18-24 years) experienced the transition to early fatherhood. It sought to extend our understanding of young fathers by attending to the pleasures and distresses of first-time fatherhood. In addition, it examined how internal and external processes influenced young men's adult development and perceived well- being. Twenty semi-structured interviews, consisting of open-ended questions, were conducted at locations in East Anglia. Framework (Ritchie and Spencer, 1994) was employed as the analytical approach. Most young men overwhelmingly welcomed the perceived changes brought about by young fatherhood and identified these changes as a consequence of the transition to young fatherhood. Most fathers delineated with great enthusiasm their pleasure at becoming fathers and the challenge to normative judgements of young fathers. Pleasures included role competency, becoming more sharing with others and new biographies. They were less prepared to discuss distresses, but those outlined included social isolation, obstacles to child access and negative stereotypes. The biographical approach adopted has highlighted the importance of considering both personal and social processes in mapping experiences. These processes had important transformative consequences for adult development and well-being. This study has contributed to our knowledge of young fathers by illustrating the pleasures associated with the transition to young fatherhood and how fatherhood affects personal biographies, whilst acknowledging how for some men, young fatherhood can be a time of distress and anxiety.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:571477 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Hammond, Shaun |
| Publisher | University of Essex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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