‘That is why we raise children’: African American fathers' race‐related concerns for their adolescents and parenting strategies

Abstract

Introduction:The current study highlights the voices and perspectives of African American fathers, with specific emphasis on their race-related concerns for their adolescents as well as how these concerns guide their parenting strategies. Method: Twenty-four African American fathers participated in 1.5-3 h long focus group interviews. All fathers (M = 42.24 years, SD = 6.93) resided in a mid-sized city in the Southeastern United States. All participants were either biological fathers (n = 20) or non-biological (n = 4) fathers. Fathers were residential (76%) and non-residential (24%), with at least one adolescent child (M = 14.32 years, SD = 5.80; Range:10-16 years). Fifty-eight percent of fathers (n = 14) had both male and female children, 29% had only female children (n = 7) and 13% had only male children (n = 3). After codebook development and refinement, key themes were explored using a theoretical thematic analysis. Results: In response to race-related and other social risks for African American adolescents, fathers articulated a number of parenting motivations and intentions: 1) fathers' own racial experiences; 2) negative media images of Black youth and families (e.g. media influences, negative stereotypes, and portrayals of Black fathers); 3) preserving families through community support; 4) developing awareness of discrimination and coping strategies; 5) cultivating positive personal and cultural identities; and 6) achievement as necessity. Also, gender emerged as a critical lens for African American fathers' concerns and parenting strategies. Conclusion: Overall, our investigation highlights African American fathers' own meaning-making around concerns for their adolescents as well as how they shape parenting processes.

Starting the Conversation: Common Themes Typifying Expectant Unmarried Black Parents’ Discussions About Coparenting a First Child Together

“…Though a variety of themes—race and inequality, cultural pride, discrimination awareness, education, discipline, coping strategies—might have been anticipated based on prior studies of the value systems of Black parents (Boyd-Franklin, 1989; Cooper et al, 2020; Ransaw, 2014), the focus of these future coparents during the pregnancy was chiefly on parenting of younger children. Values commonly expressed—to pursue education, to be happy, and to respect others—echoed longstanding themes that have been chronicled in studies of parenting among both lower- and middle-income Black families (Boyd-Franklin, 1989; McAdoo, 1981; Wilson, 2019).…”

“…More recent scholarship has begun highlighting generative Black fatherhood through strengths-based lenses (see Allen, 2016; Cooper et al, 2020). Multiple studies have documented that notwithstanding socioeconomic factors or residentiality with children’s mothers, Black fathers found ways to remain involved in their children’s lives—often exceeding involvement levels of White and Hispanic fathers (Edin et al, 2009; J.…”

Centering race in procedural justice theory: Structural racism and the under- and over-policing of Black communities

“…Widespread perceptions of the law and legal institutions as unresponsive, unfit, and disinterested in ensuring public safety have been framed as legal cynicism, a cultural orientation consisting of beliefs that legal agents are not willing to allocate legal resources to ensure the protection of members of a community (Hagan et al, 2018). Quantitative and qualitative research each suggest that such perceptions, in addition to being culturally transmitted (Anderson, 1999;Elliott & Reid, 2019;Cooper et al, 2020), are grounded in an accumulated abundance of direct observations of police non-response and ineffectiveness made by individuals in race-class subjugated communities Taylor et al, 2009;Kirk & Papachristos, 2011;Kirk & Matusda, 2011).…”

Paternal biopsychosocial resilience in triadic interactions among African American/Black families exposed to trauma and socioeconomic adversity

“…Yet, the predominate narrative of African American/Black fathering continues to be monolithic in its emphasis of father absence (and relatedly samples of mother-headed African American/Black households), disengagement, and the overgeneralization of the experiences of low-income African American/Black fathers to that of African American/Black fathers more broadly (Gadsden et al, 2015). This is true despite the call for ecologically and socially embedded approaches to African American/Black fatherhood (e.g., Bowman, ;Cabrera et al, 2014;McAdoo, 2002 ), the empirical evidence of greater or similar levels of father engagement and involvement relative to other ethnic-racial groups in early childhood (e.g., Ahmeduzzaman & Roopnarine, 1992;Cabrera et al, 2011;Fagan, 1998;Hossain & Roopnarine, 1994;Leavell et al, 2012 ), and the important contributions that African American/Black fathers have on their children's academic and psychosocial outcomes regardless of their residential status (e.g., Cooper et al, 2020;Crouter et al, 2008;Smith et al, 2005). As such, studies on African American/Black fatherhood that highlight individual differences with regard to risk and resilience in parenting and child outcomes in specific contexts are necessary for a more complete understanding of the nature and effect of fathering in African American/Black families that represent a particular sociocultural experience.…”