Father’s Perceptions of their Role and Involvement in the Family: A Qualitative Study in a Colombian Sample / Percepciones del padre sobre su rol e involucramiento en la familia: un estudio cualitativo en una muestra colombiana

Abstract

<p><em><strong>English</strong></em></p><p>The purpose of this study was to explore fathers’ perceptions about their role in the family, and the characteristics of their involvement in their children’s lives in the Colombian context. The sample consisted of 12 Colombian fathers. The study used a qualitative methodology, one-hour in depth interviews were conducted with the participants. Results indicated important changes in the role of fathers and mothers in Colombian families. Fathers’ perceptions departed to some extent from the traditional pattern attributed to nuclear families, where men are considered as the only economic provider and authority figure in the family. This departure places fathers in a category we would call “in transition”, which includes perceptions of more equitable parental roles within the family and a combination of features from other typologies of fatherhood proposed in the literature. Fathers also reported a desire to participate more at home and to be more involved in their children’s lives; they also emphasized the importance of expressing love and affection to their children. Work-family conflict and the impact of the quality of the father-child relationship emerged as important categories in the fathers’ perceptions of their role and involvement in the family. In Colombia research on fathers is scarce and family policies mainly focus on mothers as the principal caregiver. A better understanding of fathers’ roles and involvement in the family and with children will contribute to the development of programs and policies oriented toward all family members and family relationship systems.</p><p><em><strong>Español</strong></em></p><p><span>El propósito de este estudio fue explorar las percepciones de los padres sobre su rol en la familia y las características de su involucramiento en la vida de los hijos en el contexto colombiano. La muestra estuvo conformada por 12 padres colombianos. El estudio siguió una metodología cualitativa en la cual se llevaron a cabo entrevistas en profundidad de una hora de duración con los participantes. Los resultados indicaron cambios importantes en el rol de los padres y las madres en las familias colombianas. Las percepciones de los padres se alejaron en alguna medida del patrón tradicional atribuido a las familias nucleares en las cuales los hombres son considerados como los proveedores exclusivos y las figuras de autoridad de la familia. Esta separación ubica a los padres en una categoría que nosotros llamaríamos “en transición”, la cual incluye percepciones de roles parentales más equitativos dentro de la familia y una combinación de rasgos de otras tipologías de la paternidad propuestos en la literatura. Los padres también reportaron un deseo por participar más en sus hogares y por estar más involucrados en la vida de sus hijos. Adicionalmente, ellos enfatizaron en la importancia de expresar amor y afecto a sus hijos. El conflicto entre el trabajo y la familia y el impacto de la calidad de la relación padre-hijo emergieron como categorías fundamentales en las percepciones de los padres sobre su rol e involucramiento en la familia. En Colombia, la investigación sobre los papás es escasa y las políticas de familia se centran principalmente en las madres como cuidadoras principales. Una mayor comprensión del rol de los papás y de su involucramiento en la familia y con los hijos contribuirá al desarrollo de programas y las políticas orientadas hacia todos los miembros de la familia y hacia los diferentes sistemas de relación en el contexto familiar.</span></p>

Father Presence, Father Engagement, and Specific Health and Developmental Outcomes of Mongolian Pre-School Children

“…However, in other households, men who are unemployed may see this as an opportunity to spend more time with their children [22]. The changing roles of men and fathers have been explored in other contexts [23][24][25], however, little is known about how political and economic transition may have influenced parenting by men in Mongolia. Representatives from UNICEF Mongolia have voiced concerns regarding changing gender roles and tasks and their relation to child-related outcomes in Mongolia (U. Sereeter, ECD Specialist at UNICEF Mongolia, personal communication, February 2017).…”

ACT Program: Learning experiences of mothers about their parenting practices and child behavior

“…Research indicates that societal expectations often designate women as the primary caregivers of their children (Carrillo, Bermudez, Suarez, Gutierrez, & Delgado, 2016;Craig & Mullan, 2010). However, this study revealed that participants noted increased involvement from their partners in childcare compared to their own fathers' involvement during their childhoods.…”

Fathers' motivations and expectations from participating in early child care: A study in Ghanaian Municipality

“…To correct this habit of preferential gift giving, first-time fathers need to develop a good bond with their children right from infancy, so their children feel and miss their absence when they are not around. This is evidenced in Carrillo and Bermúdez (2016), who found that to strengthen the father-child bond, the father must be affectionate with the children (i.e., compliments, hugs, kisses), be understanding, and develop good communication with the children because these are central features of good fathering. Similarly, Jessee and Adamsons (2018) also confirmed that fathers' participation in child care was positively associated with the father-child bond.…”