ERIC Number: EJ854557
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0192-513X
EISSN: N/A
Just Doing What They Gotta Do: Single Black Custodial Fathers Coping with the Stresses and Reaping the Rewards of Parenting
Coles, Roberta L.
Journal of Family Issues, v30 n10 p1311-1338 2009
For single African American custodial fathers, parenting stress is exacerbated by the cultural expectation that Black fathers are "normally" absent and by the clustering of stresses that Black men are more likely to encounter. This sample of African American fathers have used a repertoire of problem-focused and cognitive coping strategies, including some that are frequently considered "culturally specific." Twenty Black single custodial fathers are interviewed and their narratives are analyzed for concepts and thematic categories related to stress and coping. Their narratives indicate that certain strategies are avoided because (a) these strategies are not available to them and (b) they desire to present themselves as independent and competent, thus resisting stereotypes and building a sense of efficacy.
Descriptors: Child Rearing, Coping, Rewards, Fathers, African Americans, Stress Variables, Interviews, Personal Narratives, Stereotypes, Self Efficacy, Profiles, One Parent Family, Divorce, Death, Child Behavior, Employment Level, Religion, Problem Solving, Welfare Services, Social Support Groups
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A