The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of single
fathers attending a community college. Single fathers comprise one-fifth of all
single parent families, yet little research has been done on this growing segment of
the population. A phenomenological approach was utilized to examine the
attributes, needs, and challenges facing single fathers who were community college
students.
Seven single fathers attending a community college in the Northwest
participated in this study. The fathers had primary responsibility for raising their
children, had been enrolled at least half-time, and were attending the college for a
minimum of one year. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews
and a focus group.
Seven main themes emerged from the data: 1) Ambivalence, 2) Stability, 3)
Finding support, 4) Mattering, 5) Success Factors, 6) Barriers, and 7) How the
college can assist single father students.
Three factors were identified as a result of the study. (1) Attending
community college improved family relationships. The flexibility of class
scheduling allowed the fathers to spend more time with their children. (2) The
experience of single fathers and single mothers attending community college are
remarkably similar, with the exception of how each accessed support networks.
Single fathers were much less likely to initially identify and utilize support
networks. (3) How single fathers viewed their identity and their definition of
masculinity changed. Prior to attending community college, their primary identity
was related to their work. As students, their identity shifted to being recognized as
good students and good fathers. / Graduation date: 2005
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/29364 |
| Date | 19 November 2004 |
| Creators | Cook, Tim S. |
| Contributors | Sanchez, Alex A. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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