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Conceptualizing Fatherhood: Maternal Perceptions of Responsible Fathering
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by Erica Elizabeth Coates, Catherine Batsche, and Robert Lucio - University of South Florida
We investigated maternal perceptions of responsible
fathering among pregnant and parenting teenage mothers by
interviewing 10 adolescent mothers. Mothers responded to what
being a responsible father means to them and described the degree
of involvement by the father of their children. Five primary themes
emerged as characteristics of responsible fathers: “being there” for
the child, helping to take care of the child, loving and caring for the
child, providing financial support, and playing with the child. Seven
major themes developed in response to mothers’ perceptions of their
children’s fathers’ involvement: does not help take care of child,
irregular or no contact, does not play with child, incarceration,
financial support, left mother and child, and loves and cares for child.
Fall 2011 | Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research (Vol. 16, No. 3, p. 134), published by Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology (Chattanooga, TN). Copyright, 2011, Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology. All rights reserved.