Fatherhood, manhood, and personhood: South African fathers' experiences of parental identity development

Fatherhood is rooted in various cultural, societal, and even religious belief systems. In the South African context, where fathers are often perceived to be absent or uninvolved, fathers' parental identity development might be hindered. This study focused on fathers' commitment, exploratio...

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Published in:Journal of family studies Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 1106 - 1129
Main Authors: Divine, Wayela Bitalo, Piotrowski, Konrad, Naudé, Luzelle
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London, United Kingdom Routledge 01.11.2024
Taylor & Francis (UK)
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:
Absent fathers
Aspiration
Attitudes
Beliefs
black fathers
Black people
Childrearing practices
Cultural factors
Fatherhood
Fathers
Identity (Psychology)
Identity formation
Manhood
Masculinity
parental identity formation
Parents & parenting
Personhood
Qualitative research
Religious beliefs
Social factors
Sociocultural factors
Socioeconomic factors
South African context
South Africans
SOUTH AFRICA
ISSN:1322-9400, 1839-3543
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Fatherhood is rooted in various cultural, societal, and even religious belief systems. In the South African context, where fathers are often perceived to be absent or uninvolved, fathers' parental identity development might be hindered. This study focused on fathers' commitment, exploration, and reconsideration in the process of forming a parental identity within the South African sociocultural context. Eight emerging and early adult black South African fathers were interviewed. Through reflexive thematic analysis, a nuanced visage of fatherhood that carries both the old ideologies of material provision and the newfound valuing of nurturing care was constructed. The complexities of balancing ideas of fatherhood, manhood, and personhood were evident in how participants struggled to align their aspirations of being physically present and emotionally engaged fathers with the reality of being providers in a financially strenuous context. Participants embraced the idea of a family unit as a foundation and also appreciated the value of communal notions of childrearing. While the challenging nature of fatherhood was often met with reconsideration, a firm commitment was evident. This qualitative inquiry into the experiences of fatherhood addresses the personal, socio-economic, and cultural aspects embedded in the formation of parental identity among black South African men.
Bibliography:Journal of Family Studies, Vol. 30, No. 6, Nov 2024, 1106-1129
Informit, Melbourne (Vic)
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
ISSN:1322-9400
1839-3543
DOI:10.1080/13229400.2024.2398579