Family relationships and non-resident black South African fathers’ contact with their adolescent children: a study of families with infrequent non-resident father-child contact

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorElmien, Leschen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorNell, Erikaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-02T08:35:11Zen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-18T06:56:45Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2023-02-02T08:35:11Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2023-05-18T06:56:45Zen_ZA
dc.date.issued2023-03en_ZA
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Constructive paternal involvement has the potential to greatly contribute to family and child mental health. Many South African fathers, however, do not live with or close to their children and are not benefiting from regular father-child contact. The relationships between non-resident fathers and other members in the larger family system play a significant role in father child contact in general, but especially in Black South African communities where fatherhood is understood to happen to families rather than individuals. Moreover, the quality of the parental relationship is often significantly influenced by the inputs of maternal grandparents or other extended kin. However, the non-resident father as a member of the larger family system, in which his relationships with key family members play an important role in father-child contact, has been neglected in South African family research. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating if and how the quality of relationships with biological children of Black South African non-resident fathers is influenced by the quality of his relationships with key family members. This study was informed by family systems theory and utilised a qualitative research design in which data from multiple family members were obtained. Purposive sampling resulted in the recruitment of ten family systems with four family members participating in the study (N = 40). This included the non-residential father, his adolescent biological child, mother of the child, and extended family member. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of these members to explore the nature and quality of the father’s contact with the child, mother, and extended family; and how the quality of these relationships impacted father child contact. These interviews were transcribed and Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis method was used to identify the following five themes that shed light on infrequent non-resident father-child contact: (i) Fathers as mainly material providers: The dominance of the father as provider discourse negatively affected family relationships and limited father child contact as mothers saw the father’s provision as proof of his affection for his child. (ii) Expectations of fathers beyond provision: Family members acknowledged that fathers have roles beyond provision. They thought that fathers could contribute to children’s well-being by showing interest in their children’s lives and having contact with them, as well as contribute children’s academic functioning. (iii) Responsibility for father-child contact: Mothers, children and extended kin put the onus of father-child contact on the father. Fathers in return awaited the mothers’ contact as indication that their presence was welcome and convenient, but mothers viewed this as ‘forcing’ father-child contact. (iv) Extended kin as father-child contact resource: Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za iii Extended kin supported father-child contact and could be seen as a potential resource. They often acted as intermediaries, provided a physical space for father-child contact and/or waived the payment of damages as a precondition for father-child contact. (v) Changes in families after the interviews: This theme highlights the unexpected and encouraging changes that occurred after the first interviews in terms of increased quality and frequency of father-child contact, as well as increased provision from the father. These shifts suggest that non-resident father families may be open to feedback and able to implement changes toward frequent father-child contact. Some recommendations based on these findings are that more should be done on the macrosystem level to emphasise, promote and support a range of non-resident father contributions to child well-being, providing non-resident fathers with knowledge and skills (that do not involve money) to build father-child connections, and the encouragement and provision of mediation services for non-resident families to assist family members to work together to support constructive non-resident father-child contacten_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Konstruktiewe paternale betrokkenheid het die potensiaal om betekenisvol by te dra tot die geestesgesondheid van families en kinders. Baie Suid Afrikaase vaders woon egter nie by of na aan hul kinders nie, en baat nie by gereelde vader-kind kontak nie. Die verhoudings tussen nie-inwonende vaders en ander lede van die familie sisteem speel ‘n sleutel rol in die algemeen, maar veral in Swart Suid Afrikaanse gemeenskappe, waar vaderskap gesien word as familie gebeurtenis. Bowendien word die kwaliteit van die ouers se verhouding baie beїnvloed deur maternale grootouers en uitgebreide familielede. Daar is egter ‘n gebrek in Suid Afrikaanse familie navorsing oor die nie-inwonende vader as lid van ‘n groter familie sisteem, waar sleutel familielede ‘n groot invloed uitoefen oor vader-kind kontak. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om hierdie gaping aan te spreek deur ondersoek in te stel of en hoe die kwaliteit van verhoudings tussen biologiese kinders en Swart Suid Afrikaanse nie-inwonende vaders beїnvloed word deur die kwaliteit van sy verhoudings met sleutel familielede. Hierdie studie is gegrond in familie sisteem teorie en ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsings ontwerp is gebuik om data van veelvoudige familie lede in te win. Doelgerigte steekproeftrekking het tien familie sisteme met vier lede elk (N = 40) tot gevolg gehad. Hierdie vier lede het die nieinwonende vader, sy biologiese adolessente kind, moeder van die kind, en uitgebreide familielid ingesluit. Individuele semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met elke familielid om die aard en kwaliteit van die vader se verhoudings met die kind, moeder, en uitgebreide familielede te verken; asook hoe die kwaliteit van hierdie verhoudings vader-kind kontak beinvloed. Die onderhoude is getranskribeer en Braun en Clarke se ses-fase tematiese analise metode is gebruik om die volgende vyf temas te identifiseer wat lig werp op seldsame of sporadiese nie-inwonende vader-kind kontak: (i) Vaders as hoofsaaklik finansiële voorsiener: Die oorheersing van die vader as voorsiener diskoers het ‘n negatiewe uitwerking op familie verhoudings en beperk vader-kind kontak aangesien moeders voorsiening sien as bewys van die vader se liefde vir die kind. (ii) Verwagtinge van vaders benewens voorsiening: Familielede herken dat vaders bydraes benewens voorsiening kan maak. Hulle was van mening dat vaders tot kinders se welstand kan bydra deur belangstelling in hul kinders se lewens te toon en om kontak met hul kinders te hê, sowel as om tot hul kinders se akademiese funksionering by te dra. (iii) Verantwoordelikheid vir vader-kind kontak: Moeders, kinders, en uitgebreide familielede het die onus vir vader-kind kontak op vaders gesit. Vaders het egter gewag vir die moeder om hom te kontak en aan te dui dat sy teenwoordigheid welkom en gerieflik is, maar moeders het dit gesien as die afdwinging van vader-kind kontak. (iv) Uitgebreide familie as vader-kind kontak hulpbronne: Uitgebreide familielede het vader-kind kontak ondersteun en kan gesien word as moontlike hulpbronne. Hulle het dikwels ingetree as tussenganger, fisiese areas voorsien vir vader-kind kontak, en/of het afstand gedoen van skade betaling as voorwaarde vir vader-kind kontak. (v) Verandering in families na onderhoude: Hierdie tema illustreer die onverwagse en optimale veranderinge wat plaasgevind het met betrekking tot kwaliteit en frekwensie van vader-kind kontak, sowel as toename in voorsiening van die vader, na die afhandeling van die eerste onderhoude. Hierdie verandering toon dat nie-inwonende vader families oop mag wees vir terugvoer en om veranderinge met betrekking tot vader-kind kontak te implementeer. Enkele aanbevelings gegrond in hierdie bevindinge is dat meer op die makro-sisteemvlak gedoen moet word om die veelvoudige bydraes wat nie-inwonende vaders sou kon bied te beklemtoon, bevorder en ondersteun; vaders te voorsien met kennis en vaardighede om vaderkind konneksies te bou wat nie geld vereis nie; en om bemiddelingdienste vir nie-inwonende vaders en familielede aan te moedig en te voorsien sodat nie-inwonende families saam kan werk om konstruktiewe nie-inwonende vader-kind kontak te ondersteun.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentxiv, 228 pagesen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126940en_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshFatherhood -- Psychological aspects -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshFather and child -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshLove, Paternal -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshFamilies -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshParent and child -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.titleFamily relationships and non-resident black South African fathers’ contact with their adolescent children: a study of families with infrequent non-resident father-child contacten_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
nell_family_2023.pdf
Size:
2.46 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Doctoral Degrees (Psychology)