Prof Mzi Nduna Department of psychology School of Human and - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Prof Mzi Nduna Department of psychology School of Human and Community Development 11/11/2014 1

The Father Connections study team Post graduate students Dr Mambwe Kasese-Hara • • Livhuhane Manyatshe • Prof Rachel Jewkes Tidimalo Padi • • Thandeka Mdletshe • Polite Chauke • Naledi Selebano • Prof Grace Khunou Dr Yandisa Sikweyiya 11/11/2014 2

 According to the SAIRR 40% of South African children grow up without a father  42% (in 1996) and 48% (in 2009) had an absent, living father Holborn, L. (2011). Fractured families: A crisis for South Africa. SAIIR Fast Facts, 4 (April), 2.   Prof Makiwane’s report from Mpumalanga Proportion of children (0-9yrs) that co-reside with parents 2002 2009 Father is not part of the households 29.25 32.73 Mother and father are not part of the household 31.97 32.34 61.22 65.07 Makiwane, M. B., Makoae, M., Botsis, H., & Vawda, M. (2012). A baseline study on families in  Mpumalanga. Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria: Human and Social Development, Population Health, Health Systems and Innovation, CeSTii. 11/11/2014 3

 Absent  Deceased  Absent but living  Physical and emotional absence  Not co-residing with the child/non-resident fathers Unknown father   By whom – mother, child, father Undisclosed   By whom? Usually mother or maternal family Unknown number of children with an  unknown father or undisclosed paternity 11/11/2014 4

This study investigated unresolved and • unknown paternal identity among families in Alexandra Township in South Africa 54 guardians who had children • registered at the Centre completed face- to-face, one-on-one interviews descriptive and bivariate analyses • 31.5% of the participants reported • that they lived with a child who had unresolved paternal identity A higher proportion of respondents • who reported unresolved paternity received financial support outside • the home (97% vs. 66%) also reported needing the Centre to • provide them with psychosocial support 11/11/2014 5

40 young men and women aged 16 to 22 were • interviewed following a semi-structured guide in the Eastern Cape Province Our findings show that an interest in father • identity was motivated by harsh circumstances in the maternal home, notably when financial difficulties, exclusion from • critical decision making and bullying by non-biological siblings were felt The search for father identity was pursued in • solitude fearing elders’ response Some thought that it would be interpreted as • being disrespectful and ungrateful to ask ‘such a question’ others worried that they might be victimized • or, worse, thrown out by their mothers or maternal guardians We present accounts of accidental disclosures by • strangers and also inadvertent involvement in an 11/11/2014 6 incestuous relationship

• This paper explores the strategic use of silence in narratives of absent fathers collected from the Mpumalanga province • 20, one-hour, one-on-one, fieldworker- respondent, semi structured interviews were conducted with women aged 15–26 years old • Interviews were gender-matched, audio- recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English • Thematic, and some elements of discourse analysis, were used to analyse the data • findings show that motivations for upholding silence within the home were • to show respect and gratitude • avoid upsetting a bothersome mother • avoiding speaking with a chronically ill mother lest this made her condition worse and recovery difficult 11/11/2014 7

 Children would like to know their fathers 1. Nduna, M (accepted). Growing up without a father and a pursuit for the right surname. 2. Langa, M (accepted). Meaning making in growing up without a father- narratives of young. The Open Family Studies Journal: A peer reviewed open access journal 

 Findings from three focus group discussions with 30 mothers and guardians, aged 25 to 35  Disclosure of father identity was difficult when there was  denial of paternity  the mother got pregnant by a married man  the whereabouts of the father was unknown  Fear of betraying the trust of family members also prevented disclosure  The child  Current partner / husband 11/11/2014 9

 8, one-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted with women aged 33 to 60 thematic analysis was used to describe first-hand  accounts and the essence of the phenomenon for the participants  The fleeting discussions that did at times occur around the father indicate that disclosure is a fluid and an ongoing process there were broader challenges for mothers on   how to go about the disclosure  what to say to the child  at what age it would be appropriate to start discussing the father 11/11/2014 10

topical structural analysis of case study  narratives collected using face-to-face, semi- structured interviews conducted The study was based in Butterworth in the  Eastern Cape. findings show that denial and disputes of  pregnancy by the participants’ boyfriends took different forms. The men implicated temporised by expressing  disbelief about the news of the pregnancy  relocating and rejecting responsibility Participants believed that denial of their  pregnancy was a punishment for being careless, not taking contraceptives and falling pregnant. Constant worry from the unresolved  paternity left the participants distressed Resolution in most cases was not, as expected,  followed by the man honouring payment of compensation 11/11/2014 11

 Mothers do not think ignorance is bliss  They need assistance with structural barriers to disclose  INTER-SECTIONAL WORK : Lessen gender-based violence against women in intimate relationships  DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN : Economic Empowerment: lessen women’s economic dependence on their male partners in order for paternity disclosure to be safe  CIVIL SOCIETY : Build parent’s communication skills – when and how to disclose  DoHA – MIGRATION : Assist women and children in tracking the alleged father  DoH- MCWH : strengthen family planning  Assist women and children with DNA paternity testing to resolve paternity disputes

 Quantitative studies  Research from the absent father’s perspective  Nduna, M., & Nathane-Taulela, M. (submitted). Discovering one’s biological father: Findings from narratives of young women from the Mpumalanga province in South Africa . Psychology. University of the Witwatersrand.  Lesch, E. (Accepted). Constraining Constructions: Low- income Fathers’ Perceptions of fathering their Adolescent Daughters. The Open Family Studies Journal, Special Issue: Father Connections in South Africa (Forthcoming).  Community engagement with science  Inform community-based interventions  Highlight policy relevance 11/11/2014 13

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