Constructing adolescent fatherhood: responsibilities and intergenerational repair

Abstract

The parenthood literature has, until recently, paid scant attention to adolescent fathers. Negative stereotypes portray these young men as delinquents, unwilling to participate in the lives of their children. Recent research has challenged negative views by examining the impact of fatherhood on these young men and concluding that they are far from uninvolved and disinterested in their children. The current study extends this line of research by charting the ways young fathers talk about their responsibilities and hopes for their children's futures. Young fathers were interviewed and the data analysed discursively in order to further explore the meaning of fatherhood. The analysis focuses on the ways paternal responsibilities were constructed and the notion of intergenerational repair is introduced as one of the features of this talk. The implications for practitioners are discussed in the context of a more critical approach whereby taken-for-granted assumptions are questioned in this highly politicised area.

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