9 - Children’s Experiences of Support Received from Men in Rural KwaZulu-Natal
Corresponding Author(s) : Tawanda Makusha
Africa Development,
Vol. 37 No. 3 (2012): Africa Development: Special Issue on Parents’ Involvement in Children’s Lives in Africa
Abstract
Studies of fathers’ involvement in their children’s are usually based on men’s self-reports, women’s appraisals or children’s accounts of men’s involvement. This paper explores men’s support of children aged 9-10 years living in rural KwaZulu-Natal, as reported by children, women and men. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty focal children, twenty female caregivers and sixteen fathers/father-figures nominated by the children in twenty randomly selected households. We find that men are important in children’s lives. The nomination of a father-figure by all children, even if the man was not their biological father, ascertained that all children receive some support from men. Our data highlight the influence of biological ties, co-residence, family social network, and marriage or father-mother relationship on fathers’ involvement with their children – financial and the quality of their interaction. This study improves methodologies and addresses the validity, reliability and interrelations of children, men and women’s reports of men’s involvement in providing support to children in a South African context. We were able to determine the informal, local systems of family support and the variety of contributions made by men in supporting children. In this way, the study provide a basis for research on local father involvement and for future comparison.
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- Bzostek, S., 2008, ‘Social Fathers and Child Well-being’, Journal of Marriage and Family, No. 70, pp. 950-961.
- Carlson, M. and Mclanahan, S., 2004, ‘Fathers in Fragile Families’, in M. Lamb, ed., The Role of the Father in Child Development, 5th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons. pp. 241-269.
- Carlson, M., 2006, ‘Family Structure, Father Involvement, and Adolescent Behavioural Outcomes’, Journal of Marriage and Family, No. 68, pp. 137- 154.
- Denis, P. and Ntsimane, R., 2006, ‘Absent Fathers: Why do Men not Feature in Stories of Families Affected by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal?’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 237-249.
- Department of Health, 2010, ‘National Antenatal Sentinel HIV and Syphilis Prevalence Survey in South Africa’, 2009, Pretoria: Department of Health.
- Desmond, C. and Desmond, C., 2006, ‘HIV/AIDS and the Crisis of Care for Children’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 226-236.
- Desmond, C. and Hosegood, V., 2011, ‘Men, Families and HIV and AIDS’, in Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ed., Men in Families and Family Policy in a Changing World. New York: United Nations. pp. 165-201.
- Guma, M. and Henda, N., 2004, ‘The Socio-Cultural Context of Child Abuse. A Betrayal of Trust’, in L. Richter, A., Dawes, and C. Higson-Smith, eds., Sexual Abuse of Young Children in Southern Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 95-109.
- Hosegood, V. and Madhavan, S., 2010, ‘Data Availability on Men’s Involvement in Families in Sub-Saharan Africa to Inform Family-Centred Programmes for Children Affected by HIV and AIDS’, Journal of the International AIDS Society, No. 13, pp. S5.
- Hosegood, V., Mcgrath, N. and Moultrie, T., 2009, ‘Dispensing with Marriage: Marital and Partnership Trends in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2000- 2006’, Demographic Research, No. 20, pp. 279-312.
- Lamb, M., Pleck, J., Charnov, E. and Levine, J., 1985, ‘Paternal Behavior in Humans’, American Zoologist, No. 25, pp. 883-894.
- Madhavan, S. and Townsend, N., 2007, ‘The Social Context of Children’s Nutritional Status in Rural South Africa’, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, No. 35, pp. 107-117.
- Madhavan, S., Townsend, N. and Garey, A., 2008, ‘Absent Breadwinners’: Father- Child Connections and Paternal Support in Rural South Africa’, Journal of Southern African Studies, No. 34, pp. 647-663.
- Mkhize, N., 2006, ‘African Traditions and the Social, Economic and Moral Dimensions of Fatherhood’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 183-198.
- Ramphele, M., 1993, A Bed Called Home: Life in the Migrant Labour Hostels of Cape Town, Cape Town & Johannesburg, David Phillip.
- Richter, L., Chikovore, J. and Makusha, T., 2010, ‘The Status of Fatherhood and Fathering in South Africa’, Childhood Education, No. 86, pp. 360-365.
- Richter, L., Chikovore, J., Makusha, T., Bhana, A., Mokomane, Z., Swartz, S. and Makiwane, M., 2011, ‘Fatherhood and families’, in Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ed., Men in Families and Family Policy in a Changing world, New York: United Nations. pp. 49-84.
- Richter, L., Manegold, J., Pather, R. and Mason, A., 2004, ‘Harnessing our Manpower’, ChildrenFIRST, No. 8, pp. 16-20.
- Richter, L., and Morrell, R., 2006, ‘Introduction’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 1- 12.
- Richter, L. and Panday, S., 2006, ‘Youth Conceptions of the Transition to Adulthood in South Africa: Barriers and Opportunities’, Sexuality in Africa, No. 3, pp. 1-4.
- Richter, L. and Smith, W., 2006, ‘Children’s Views of Fathers’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp 155-172.
- Russell, M., 2003, ‘Understanding Black Households: The Problem’, Social Dynamics, No. 29, pp. 5-47.
- Statistics South Africa., 2010, ‘General Household Survey 2009’, in M. Chennells and K. Hall, eds., Income and Social Grants - Children Living in Poverty, Children Count - Abantwana Babalulekile website. Cape Town: Children’s Institute, UCT.
- Temple, B., 1997, ‘Watch Your Tongue: Issues in Translation and Cross-Cultural Research’, Sociology, No. 31, pp. 607-618.
- Townsend, N., Madhavan, S. and Garey, A., 2006, ‘Father Presence in Rural South Africa: Historical Changes and Life-Course Patterns’, International Journal of Sociology of the Family, No. 32, pp. 173-190.
References
Bzostek, S., 2008, ‘Social Fathers and Child Well-being’, Journal of Marriage and Family, No. 70, pp. 950-961.
Carlson, M. and Mclanahan, S., 2004, ‘Fathers in Fragile Families’, in M. Lamb, ed., The Role of the Father in Child Development, 5th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons. pp. 241-269.
Carlson, M., 2006, ‘Family Structure, Father Involvement, and Adolescent Behavioural Outcomes’, Journal of Marriage and Family, No. 68, pp. 137- 154.
Denis, P. and Ntsimane, R., 2006, ‘Absent Fathers: Why do Men not Feature in Stories of Families Affected by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal?’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 237-249.
Department of Health, 2010, ‘National Antenatal Sentinel HIV and Syphilis Prevalence Survey in South Africa’, 2009, Pretoria: Department of Health.
Desmond, C. and Desmond, C., 2006, ‘HIV/AIDS and the Crisis of Care for Children’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 226-236.
Desmond, C. and Hosegood, V., 2011, ‘Men, Families and HIV and AIDS’, in Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ed., Men in Families and Family Policy in a Changing World. New York: United Nations. pp. 165-201.
Guma, M. and Henda, N., 2004, ‘The Socio-Cultural Context of Child Abuse. A Betrayal of Trust’, in L. Richter, A., Dawes, and C. Higson-Smith, eds., Sexual Abuse of Young Children in Southern Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 95-109.
Hosegood, V. and Madhavan, S., 2010, ‘Data Availability on Men’s Involvement in Families in Sub-Saharan Africa to Inform Family-Centred Programmes for Children Affected by HIV and AIDS’, Journal of the International AIDS Society, No. 13, pp. S5.
Hosegood, V., Mcgrath, N. and Moultrie, T., 2009, ‘Dispensing with Marriage: Marital and Partnership Trends in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 2000- 2006’, Demographic Research, No. 20, pp. 279-312.
Lamb, M., Pleck, J., Charnov, E. and Levine, J., 1985, ‘Paternal Behavior in Humans’, American Zoologist, No. 25, pp. 883-894.
Madhavan, S. and Townsend, N., 2007, ‘The Social Context of Children’s Nutritional Status in Rural South Africa’, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, No. 35, pp. 107-117.
Madhavan, S., Townsend, N. and Garey, A., 2008, ‘Absent Breadwinners’: Father- Child Connections and Paternal Support in Rural South Africa’, Journal of Southern African Studies, No. 34, pp. 647-663.
Mkhize, N., 2006, ‘African Traditions and the Social, Economic and Moral Dimensions of Fatherhood’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 183-198.
Ramphele, M., 1993, A Bed Called Home: Life in the Migrant Labour Hostels of Cape Town, Cape Town & Johannesburg, David Phillip.
Richter, L., Chikovore, J. and Makusha, T., 2010, ‘The Status of Fatherhood and Fathering in South Africa’, Childhood Education, No. 86, pp. 360-365.
Richter, L., Chikovore, J., Makusha, T., Bhana, A., Mokomane, Z., Swartz, S. and Makiwane, M., 2011, ‘Fatherhood and families’, in Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ed., Men in Families and Family Policy in a Changing world, New York: United Nations. pp. 49-84.
Richter, L., Manegold, J., Pather, R. and Mason, A., 2004, ‘Harnessing our Manpower’, ChildrenFIRST, No. 8, pp. 16-20.
Richter, L., and Morrell, R., 2006, ‘Introduction’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and Fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp. 1- 12.
Richter, L. and Panday, S., 2006, ‘Youth Conceptions of the Transition to Adulthood in South Africa: Barriers and Opportunities’, Sexuality in Africa, No. 3, pp. 1-4.
Richter, L. and Smith, W., 2006, ‘Children’s Views of Fathers’, in L. Richter and R. Morrell, eds., Baba: Men and fatherhood in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press. pp 155-172.
Russell, M., 2003, ‘Understanding Black Households: The Problem’, Social Dynamics, No. 29, pp. 5-47.
Statistics South Africa., 2010, ‘General Household Survey 2009’, in M. Chennells and K. Hall, eds., Income and Social Grants - Children Living in Poverty, Children Count - Abantwana Babalulekile website. Cape Town: Children’s Institute, UCT.
Temple, B., 1997, ‘Watch Your Tongue: Issues in Translation and Cross-Cultural Research’, Sociology, No. 31, pp. 607-618.
Townsend, N., Madhavan, S. and Garey, A., 2006, ‘Father Presence in Rural South Africa: Historical Changes and Life-Course Patterns’, International Journal of Sociology of the Family, No. 32, pp. 173-190.