Voices from the Margins: Low-income Fatherhood in the Era of Neoliberalism

Abstract

The norms and expectations of “father involvement” have changed rapidly within a generation, and yet, the labor force and state institutions have not supported low-income families in a way to achieve this. In this article, we examine the narratives of 138 socially and economically marginalized fathers to identify the frames that they adopt to represent themselves as fathers, tell a coherent story about their lives, and project an identity of themselves into their futures. Despite the political–economic forces that have dramatically increased inequality in an era of neoliberal capitalism, fathers rarely alluded to structural explanations for family instability, father absence, marital dissolution, and gender distrust in low-income communities. Instead, fathers attempted to adopt socially valued identities along three symbolic boundaries that distinguished themselves from their own fathers, from welfare frauds, and from the iconic deadbeat dad. They also adopted individualistic frames that took the form of therapeutic narratives and life-course transitional narratives. In general, despite harsh structural constraints, the men imagined themselves doing better, and, in nearly all cases, being engaged fathers was at the center of these hopeful constructions. Without structural change, however, these aspirational frames are likely to become little more than false hopes.

Singled out no longer: The changing narratives and types of single‐parent families

“…Much of this research shows that fathers commonly draw on personal experiences to construct their own identities as fathers, which helps them make sense of the barriers to parental involvement. Black and Keyes (2020), for example, discussed how marginalized fathers formed identities and a sense of dignity and respect by imagining they were doing better than their own fathers, were less dependent on the state, and were more responsible than "absent" fathers. These fathers also adopted individualistic narratives that emphasized healing from past trauma and needing to better their lives.…”

“…However, these identity narratives are commonly individualistic in nature and, thus, cannot fully capture the class and racial inequalities that are at the root of their problems. As such, even if these fathers want to be "good" parents (as they define it), they are unlikely to have the resources and opportunities achieve it without changes to their structural conditions (Black & Keyes, 2020).…”

“…For example, early researchers tended to sample unmarried mothers residing alone with their children (Dornbusch et al., 1985; Epstein, 1984; McLanahan & Bumpass, 1988; Milne et al., 1986; Steinberg, 1987; for notable exceptions, see Bumpass & Raley, 1995; Furstenberg & Talvitie, 1980). However, over time, scholars expanded their definitions to include single parents in multigenerational homes (Deleire & Kalil, 2002; Oberlander et al., 2007), custodial and non‐custodial single fathers (Alemu, 2019; Black & Keyes, 2020; Bronte‐Tinkew, et al., 2010; Coles, 2002, 2009; Edin & Nelson, 2013; Roy, 2006), and single mothers “by choice” (Bock, 2000; Carone et al., 2017; Golombok et al., 2016; Hertz, 2006, 2011; Jadva et al., 2009).…”

“…One important way these families are socially constructed is through the media, a powerful socializing agent that exerts considerable influence on the meanings individuals create about the world (Gamson & Modigliani, 1989; Usdansky, 2008). Generally, constructions of single parenthood in the media have been studied through television shows, movies, news reports, and political discourse, and they are generally seen as pejorative by researchers because they tend to reify gendered, classed, and raced notions of these families (Abdill, 2018; Black & Keyes, 2020; Blank‐Libra, 2004; Cammett, 2014; Cassiman, 2008; Dowd, 1995; Eaves, 2018; Kelly, 1996, 2010; Phoenix, 1996; Rabinovitz, 1989; Schmitz, 1995; Seccombe et al., 1998; Shaw, 2010). These constructions are explored in detail in the paragraphs that follow.…”

“…That is, scholars argue that these comparisons inherently insinuate pathology because their unstated assumptions are that single‐parent families are harmful to children and, thus, they should be eliminated or prevented (Dowd, 1995; Schmitz, 1995). Consequently, more recent scholarship has shifted away from concerns about children to interrogate the lived experiences of single parents themselves including how they organize their living arrangements (e.g., Bumpass & Raley, 1995; Hogan et al., 1990; Oberlander et al., 2007), how they enter into parenthood (Coles, 2009; Edin & Kefalas, 2005; Edin & Nelson, 2013; Hertz, 2006; Mannis, 1999), and how they make sense of their experiences as single parents (Black & Keyes, 2020; Bock, 2000; Carone et al., 2017; Edin & Kefalas, 2005; Hertz, 2006, 2011; Roy, 2006).…”