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Who is "Daddy"? A study of the father identity in Singapore
Author
Lim, Joline Chun Mei
Supervisor
Chong, Wan Har
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the father identity by exploring fathers’ past experiences of being fathered, his present fathering experiences and his future concerns. One-to-one interviews were utilized to answer three research questions: what are the types of relationships and/or interactions that these men had with their fathers, what are some of the principles of fathering that fathers currently execute, would like to execute and finally, are being executed but are undesirable, and what are some of the challenges that fathers face in living out his ideals in being the father that he would like to be? The participants were eight young fathers, Chinese, ages ranging from 36 years old to 50 years old and were Christians. All participants come from intact families, are in full-time employment and have children from the ages of 4 to 12 years old. This study found that fathers and sons had generally respectful relationships but with some exceptions, with father being the main teacher and provider figure in their sons’ lives. Interaction was mainly verbal and love was shown through deeds and actions. The nature of the relationship was later seen to greatly influence future practices and identities when the participants started their own families. Participants were found to have reworked, modeled after or devised new practices of their own, with their own fathers being a point of reference to follow, but only to a certain extent. The challenges cited by participants were current day issues, such as the lack of time due to busy schedules and the pressures of today’s society, rather than issues stemming from his past.
Date Issued
2011
Call Number
HQ756 Lim
Date Submitted
2011