Talking South African fathers: a critical examination of men�s constructions and experiences of fatherhood and fatherlessness
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Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sage Publications
Abstract
The absence of biological fathers in South Africa has been constructed as a problem for children of both sexes but more so for boy-children. Arguably the dominant discourse in this respect has demonized non-nuclear, female-headed households. Fathers are constructed as either absent or �bad�. Thus it has become important to explore more closely how male care-givers have been experienced by groups of men in South Africa. This article examines discourses of fatherhood and fatherlessness by drawing on qualitative interviews with a group of 29 men who speak about their reported experiences and understandings of being fathered or growing up without biological fathers. Two major and intertwined subjugated discourses about adult men�s experiences of being fathered that counter- balance the prevailing discourses about meaning of fatherhood and fatherlessness became evident, namely, �being always there� and �talking fatherhood�. The importance of the experience of fatherhood as �being there�, which relates to a quality of time and relationship between child and father rather than physical time together, is illustrated. It is not only biological fathers who can �be there� for their sons but also social fathers, other significant male role models and father figures who step in at different times in participants� lives when biological fathers are unavailable for whatever reason. Second, many positive experiences of fathers or father figures that resist a traditional role of authority and control and subscribe to more nurturant and non-violent forms of care, represented as �talking� fathers, are underlined. If we are to better understand the impact of colonial and apartheid history and its legacy on family life in contemporary society, there is a need for more historically and contextually informed studies on the meaning of fatherhood and fatherlessness.
Description
Keywords
Family, Father, Gender, Masculinity, Men, South Africa, Talking fathers
Citation
Ratele, K. , et al. (2012). Talking South African fathers: a critical examination of men�s constructions and experiences of fatherhood and fatherlessness. South African Journal of Psychology, 42(4): 553-563