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Fathers and daughters construction of fatherhood in one low-income, semi-rural, Coloured community

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fatherhood literature in South Africa agrees that a look beyond the absent father phenomenon
is necessary and that the focus should rather be on the potential of biological and social
fathers who are present in their children’s lives. Although fathers are important in the healthy
development of both boys and girls, the fathering of adolescents daughters has received
limited research attention. For these reasons, this study focused on fathers and their
adolescent daughters in one low-income, semi-rural, Coloured community in the Cape
Winelands district of the Western Cape, South Africa. The objective of this exploratory study
was to investigate fathers’ and adolescent daughters’ constructions of fatherhood. The study
was informed by social constructionism and utilised a social constructionist informed
grounded theory methodology. Forty-two interviews were conducted with fourteen fathers
and adolescent daughters. They were interviewed separately and 29 hours and 47 minutes of
interview material were obtained. Data collection, transcription, and analysis took place
concurrently. Five conceptual categories were identified: Both the fathers and the daughters
focused on the importance of the provider role and daughters’ obedience. Their relationship
was spoken of in terms of having an understanding, while the expression of affection
appeared to accompany special occasions only. Fathers also emphasised their wish for their
daughters to have a better future and spoke at length about their efforts and strategies for
ensuring this. Lastly, fathers’ expected daughters to do as they were told and not to follow
fathers’ bad examples (e.g. alcohol abuse). The core category focused on the underlying
assumptions inherent in the dynamic of the relationship, namely an hierarchical and patriarchal gender order. There seemed to be evidence of both affirmation of and resistance
against the patriarchal gender order. Although it seemed that the traditional masculine and
feminine ideology continue to hold sway, the presence of New Father discourse suggests the
beginning of a shift towards more equitable gender relations and therefore the possibility of change. Recommendations for future research and interventions based on this analysis were
also discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Binne die Suid-Afrikaanse literatuur oor vaderskap is daar ooreenstemming dat daar nie
hoofsaaklik op die afwesige vader fenomeen gekonsentreer moet word nie, maar dat die
potensiaal van biologiese en sosiale vaders wie wel teenwoordig in hulle kinders se lewe is,
ook ondersoek moet word. Alhoewel vaders belangrik in die gesonde ontwikkeling van beide
seuns en meisies is, is die navorsing oor die vaderskap van adolessente dogters beperk. Vir
hierdie redes sal die studie fokus op vaders en hulle adolessente dogters in lae-inkomste,
semi-landelike, Kleurling gemeenskap in die Kaapse Wynland distrik van die Wes-Kaap,
Suid-Afrika. Die doelwit van hierdie ondersoekende studie was om die vaders en adolessente
dogters se konstruksie oor vaderskap te ondersoek. Die studie was ingelig deur sosiale
konstruksionisme en het ingeligte sosiale konstruksionistiese gegronde teoretiese
metodologie gebruik. Twee-en-veertig onderhoude is afsonderlik gevoer met veertien vaders
en hul adolessente dogters. Nege-en-twintig ure en 47 minute se onderhoudmateriaal is
verkry. Data insameling, transkripsie en analise het gelyktydig plaasgevind. Vyf
begripskategorieë was geïdentifiseer: Beide die vaders en dogters het gefokus op die
belangrikheid van die pa se voorsienersrol. Verder het hul oor hul verhouding gepraat in
terme van 'n “verstandhouding” waarin die vader se outoritere posisie en die dogter se
gehoorsame posisie vanselfsprekend aanvaar is. Die woordelikse en fisiese uitdrukking van
liefde het net sekere spesiale geleenthede vergesel. Vaders het ook die klem geplaas op hulle
begeerte vir hulle dogters om beter toekoms te hê en het breedvoerig hulle pogings en
strategieë bespreek om dit toe te sien. Laastens, het vaders van hul dogters verwag om hul vaders se woordelikse opdragte en leringe te volg en hul nie-navolginswaardige voorbeelde
(byvoorbeeld alkoholmisbruik) te ignoreer. Die kern kategorie van die gegronde teorie wat in
hierdie studie ontwikkel is, belig die onderliggende aannames inherent in die dinamika van
die vader-dogter verhouding, naamlik hiërargiese en vaderregtelike geslagsorde. Dit blyk uit die narratiewe van vaders en dogtersl asof daar beide bevestiging van en weerstand
teen die vaderregtelike geslagsorde is. Al het dit voorgekom dat die tradisionele manlike- en
vroulike ideologie steeds aan die orde van die dag is, kan die aanwesigheid van die Nuwe
Vader diskoers dui op verskuiwing na meer billike geslagsverhouding en daarom ook
die moontlikheid van verandering. Aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing en ingrypings,
gebaseer op hierdie analise, word ook bespreek.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96061
Date12 1900
CreatorsScheffler, Frederika
ContributorsLesch, Elmien, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format157 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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