8 - Where is my Daddy? An Exploration of the Impact of Absentee Fathers on the Lives of Young People in Botswana
Corresponding Author(s) : Gloria Thupayagale-Tshweneagae
Africa Development,
Vol. 37 No. 3 (2012): Africa Development: Special Issue on Parents’ Involvement in Children’s Lives in Africa
Abstract
A substantial body of research has consistently concluded that children growing up with absentee fathers are at an increased risk of maladjustment. This paper argues that co-parenting can have both direct and indirect or mediated effects on children. Co-parenting has an added benefit of modelling dyadic skills that include proving mutual emotional support, influence, and amicable resolution of disputes. Through qualitative data obtained in 2009 from 45 final year students at the University of Botswana, the authors conclude that African personhood is a larger-than-self conception, which also includes more than the physical being and shows that young people raised in father-absent families view their personhood as inferior, less guarded, and incomplete, relative to that of their counterparts who were born and raised in married-couple families. Living a full quality life eludes youth who were raised by mothers only, affirming the importance of fathers in the personhood of any individual.
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- Allen, S. and Daly, K., 2002, ‘The effects of father Involvement: A summary of the research evidence’, Ontario, Canada: Father Involvement Initiative - Ontario Network.
- Amato, P.R., 1994, ‘Father-child relations, mother-child relations, and offspring psychological well-being in early adulthood’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 56, pp. 1031-1042.
- Anderson, K.G., Kaplan, H., Lam, D. and Lancaster, J., 1999, ‘Paternal care by genetic fathers and stepfathers II: Reports by Xhosa High school students’, Evolution and behaviour, Vol. 20, pp. 433-451.
- Argys, L., Peters, H.E., Brooks-Gunn, J., and Smith, R., 1998, ‘The impact of child support on cognitive outcomes of young children’, Demography, Vol. 35, pp. 159-173.
- Ball, J. and Moselle, K., 2007, ‘Father’s contribution to Children’s Well-Being’, Available online at http://www.fira.ca/cms/documents/123/ PH_FI_Report_brief.pdf. 9 January 2012.
- Belotti, J., 2004, ‘Lessons learned from the early head start fatherhood project’, Head Start Bulletin, Vol. 77, pp. 1-6.
- Booth, A. and Brouter, A.C., 1998, Men in families, London: Lawrence Erlbaum.
- Clarke, L., O’Brien, M., Godwin, H., Hemmings, J., Day, R.D., Connolly, J., and Van Leeson, T., 2005, ‘Fathering behind bars in English prisons: Imprisoned father’s identity and contact with their children’, A Journal of Theory, Research and Practice about Men as Fathers, Vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 221-241.
- Daly, K.J., Ashbourne, L. and Brown, J.L, 2009, ‘Father’s perceptions of children’s influence: Implications for involvement’, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 624, no. 1, pp. 61-77.
- Donni, O. and El Badaoui E., 2009, ‘Transfers within the extended family: Theory and evidence from South Africa’, Thema-University de Cergy, Pontoise: France.
- Fairfax, C.N., 2011, ‘Locating African Personhood Theory and Praxis: Filling the gap in social welfare programs’, The Journal of Pan African Studies, Vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 122-138.
- Flouri, E. and Buchanan, A., 2002, ‘Life Satisfaction in Teenage Boys: The moderating role of Father Involvement and Bullying’, Aggressive Behavior, Vol. 28, pp. 126-133.
- Finley, G.E. and Schwartz, S.J., 2007, ‘Father involvement and long-term young adult outcomes: The differential contributions of divorce and gender’, Family Court Review, Vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 573-587.
- Guerrrero, L.K. and Afifi, W.A., 1995, ‘Something is better left unsaid: Topic avoidance in family relationships’, Communication quarterly, Vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 276-296.
- Hawker, D.S.J., and Boulton, M.J., 2000, ‘Twenty years research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: a meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 41, pp. 441-455.
- Hoffman, L.W., 1998, ‘The Effects of the Mother’s Employment on the Family and the Child’, Available online at http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu/ Hoffman/Hoffman.html. 2 January 2012.
- Kelly, J.B., 2007, ‘Children’s living arrangements following separation and divorce: Insights from empirical and clinical research’, Family Process, Vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 35-52.
- Kiernan, K., 2006, ‘Non-residential fatherhood and child involvement; evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study’, Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 35, pp. 651-669.
- Lamb, M.E., 2000, ‘The history of research on father involvement: An overview’, Marriage and Family Review, Vol. 29, pp. 23-42.
- Lamb, M.E., Pleck, J.H., Charnov, E.L., and Levine, J.A., 1987, ‘A biosocial perspective on paternal behavior and involvement’, in J. Lancaster, J. Altmann, A.Rossi, and L. Sherrod, eds., Parenting across the lifespan: Biosocial dimensions, Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter. pp. 11-142.
- Levine, J.A. and Pitt, E.W., 1995, New expectations: Community strategies for responsible fathering, New York: Families and Work Institute.
- McLanaham, S., and Sandefeur, G.D., 1994, Growing up with a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
- O’Brien, M. and Richter, L., 2011, Men in families and family policy in a changing world, United Nations: New York.
- O’Brien, M., 2011, ‘Fathers in challenging family contexts: a need for engagement’, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Publications. Available online at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ family/docs/men-in- families.pdf. 10 October 2011.
- O’Brien, M., 2009, ‘Fathers, Parental Leave Policies and Infant Quality of Life: International Perspectives and Policy Impact’, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 624, pp. 190-213.
- Pruett, M.K., Cowan, C.P., Cowan, P.A. and Pruett, K., 2009, ‘Lessons learned from the supporting father involvement study; A cross-cultural preventive intervention for low-income families with young children’, Journal of Social Service Research, Vol. 35, pp. 163-179.
- Pruett, K.D., 2000, Fatherneed: Why father care is as essential as mother care for your child, New York: Free Press.
- Suggs, David, 1996, ‘Mosadi Tshwene: The Construction of Gender and the Consumption of Alcohol in Botswana’, American Ethnologist, Vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 597-610.
- Tamis-LeMonda, C.S. and Cabrera, N., eds., 2002, Handbook of father involvement: Multidisciplinary perspectives, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Wanda, M.R., 2009, ‘Psychology of fathering in the Caribbean: an investigation of the physical and psychological presence of the Jamaican father’, Master’s thesis, University of West Indies.
References
Allen, S. and Daly, K., 2002, ‘The effects of father Involvement: A summary of the research evidence’, Ontario, Canada: Father Involvement Initiative - Ontario Network.
Amato, P.R., 1994, ‘Father-child relations, mother-child relations, and offspring psychological well-being in early adulthood’, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Vol. 56, pp. 1031-1042.
Anderson, K.G., Kaplan, H., Lam, D. and Lancaster, J., 1999, ‘Paternal care by genetic fathers and stepfathers II: Reports by Xhosa High school students’, Evolution and behaviour, Vol. 20, pp. 433-451.
Argys, L., Peters, H.E., Brooks-Gunn, J., and Smith, R., 1998, ‘The impact of child support on cognitive outcomes of young children’, Demography, Vol. 35, pp. 159-173.
Ball, J. and Moselle, K., 2007, ‘Father’s contribution to Children’s Well-Being’, Available online at http://www.fira.ca/cms/documents/123/ PH_FI_Report_brief.pdf. 9 January 2012.
Belotti, J., 2004, ‘Lessons learned from the early head start fatherhood project’, Head Start Bulletin, Vol. 77, pp. 1-6.
Booth, A. and Brouter, A.C., 1998, Men in families, London: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Clarke, L., O’Brien, M., Godwin, H., Hemmings, J., Day, R.D., Connolly, J., and Van Leeson, T., 2005, ‘Fathering behind bars in English prisons: Imprisoned father’s identity and contact with their children’, A Journal of Theory, Research and Practice about Men as Fathers, Vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 221-241.
Daly, K.J., Ashbourne, L. and Brown, J.L, 2009, ‘Father’s perceptions of children’s influence: Implications for involvement’, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 624, no. 1, pp. 61-77.
Donni, O. and El Badaoui E., 2009, ‘Transfers within the extended family: Theory and evidence from South Africa’, Thema-University de Cergy, Pontoise: France.
Fairfax, C.N., 2011, ‘Locating African Personhood Theory and Praxis: Filling the gap in social welfare programs’, The Journal of Pan African Studies, Vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 122-138.
Flouri, E. and Buchanan, A., 2002, ‘Life Satisfaction in Teenage Boys: The moderating role of Father Involvement and Bullying’, Aggressive Behavior, Vol. 28, pp. 126-133.
Finley, G.E. and Schwartz, S.J., 2007, ‘Father involvement and long-term young adult outcomes: The differential contributions of divorce and gender’, Family Court Review, Vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 573-587.
Guerrrero, L.K. and Afifi, W.A., 1995, ‘Something is better left unsaid: Topic avoidance in family relationships’, Communication quarterly, Vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 276-296.
Hawker, D.S.J., and Boulton, M.J., 2000, ‘Twenty years research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: a meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 41, pp. 441-455.
Hoffman, L.W., 1998, ‘The Effects of the Mother’s Employment on the Family and the Child’, Available online at http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu/ Hoffman/Hoffman.html. 2 January 2012.
Kelly, J.B., 2007, ‘Children’s living arrangements following separation and divorce: Insights from empirical and clinical research’, Family Process, Vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 35-52.
Kiernan, K., 2006, ‘Non-residential fatherhood and child involvement; evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study’, Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 35, pp. 651-669.
Lamb, M.E., 2000, ‘The history of research on father involvement: An overview’, Marriage and Family Review, Vol. 29, pp. 23-42.
Lamb, M.E., Pleck, J.H., Charnov, E.L., and Levine, J.A., 1987, ‘A biosocial perspective on paternal behavior and involvement’, in J. Lancaster, J. Altmann, A.Rossi, and L. Sherrod, eds., Parenting across the lifespan: Biosocial dimensions, Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter. pp. 11-142.
Levine, J.A. and Pitt, E.W., 1995, New expectations: Community strategies for responsible fathering, New York: Families and Work Institute.
McLanaham, S., and Sandefeur, G.D., 1994, Growing up with a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
O’Brien, M. and Richter, L., 2011, Men in families and family policy in a changing world, United Nations: New York.
O’Brien, M., 2011, ‘Fathers in challenging family contexts: a need for engagement’, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Publications. Available online at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ family/docs/men-in- families.pdf. 10 October 2011.
O’Brien, M., 2009, ‘Fathers, Parental Leave Policies and Infant Quality of Life: International Perspectives and Policy Impact’, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 624, pp. 190-213.
Pruett, M.K., Cowan, C.P., Cowan, P.A. and Pruett, K., 2009, ‘Lessons learned from the supporting father involvement study; A cross-cultural preventive intervention for low-income families with young children’, Journal of Social Service Research, Vol. 35, pp. 163-179.
Pruett, K.D., 2000, Fatherneed: Why father care is as essential as mother care for your child, New York: Free Press.
Suggs, David, 1996, ‘Mosadi Tshwene: The Construction of Gender and the Consumption of Alcohol in Botswana’, American Ethnologist, Vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 597-610.
Tamis-LeMonda, C.S. and Cabrera, N., eds., 2002, Handbook of father involvement: Multidisciplinary perspectives, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Wanda, M.R., 2009, ‘Psychology of fathering in the Caribbean: an investigation of the physical and psychological presence of the Jamaican father’, Master’s thesis, University of West Indies.