‘Their status will be affected by that child’: How masculinity influences father involvement in the education of learners with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Background Parents play a critical role in the formal education of their children. However, a limited body of scientific knowledge exists on fathers' involvement in the formal education of their children with disabilities, particularly in Global South settings. This study sought to understand how father involvement is constructed in the formal education of learners with intellectual disabilities in an African context. Methods The study uses data from a broad qualitative case study of one special school in Kenya. Data were collected from eight fathers, six mothers, nine teachers and six children with disabilities using individual interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. A document review was also conducted. The data were analysed thematically. Results Two themes emerging from the data are presented, named using selected quotes from the participants thus: ‘He's a monster, you're the one who gave birth to him’ and ‘The excuse that he has work to do’. Father involvement in the education of learners with intellectual disabilities is influenced by the need of the fathers to protect their identities as men in a society whose cultural norms and values associates manliness with strength and perfection, and disability with weakness and imperfection. Father involvement is also impacted by the teachers' perceptions of the fathers' masculinity. Additionally, father involvement is influenced by the ways fathers cope with the threats to their masculinity. Conclusion Perceptions of masculinity and disability intersect to construct father involvement in the formal education of learners with intellectual disabilities in this African context.

The Influences from the Father Bring to the Children with Autism

“…Children with autism have less successful in building positive relationships with their teachers [4]. The main difficulties of children with autism building positive relationships with others are the ability to participate jointly with others, such as they could not paying attention in time to something others paying attention, and children with autism cannot provide quality and quantity interaction, such as raising up too many questions [5].…”

I Be Africa Man Original: Towards a Contextual Conceptualization of Father Involvement in the Education of Children with Disabilities in Kenya

“…These include fathers' attempts to protect their identities as men in societies that associate manliness with being strong and perfect, and disability with being weak and imperfect. Also influencing father involvement are teachers' prejudicial views of men as uncaring and specifically wanting little to do with children with disabilities [2]. Additionally, it has been observed that the fathers' considerations of the benefits of formal education for their children with disabilities influence how they are involved in the education [1].…”

“…The import of father involvement in the life of their children is well documented in the literature. In traditional African communities, fathers mostly take the role of decision making and breadwinning in the family, meaning that their involvement in matters central to the child could lead to enhanced achievement of the child's wellbeing [1,2]. Father-child interactions are associated with the child's improved cognitive, social, language, as well as emotional development [3].…”

“…According to Karisa, McKenzie and De Villiers [2], the traditional role of the father becomes additionally significant when there is a vulnerable member in the family, such as a child with a disability, because the wellbeing of such a member depends on the will of the father, including if they are to access, as well as to participate in, education. Nevertheless, the nature of father involvement with their children in Africa is diverse, varying from society-to-society and ranging from high physical presence to physical absence.…”

“…Research on father involvement with their children with disabilities is even more scarce. Although there might be global constructs of father involvement, such as the role of providing social capital to the children [11], subtle differences based on social, cultural and economic realities exist [1,2]. Accordingly, we set out to provide a context for father involvement in the education of their children with disabilities in Africa, with the aim of contributing to the development of a conceptual understanding on the same.…”