Overview: The (NPU-V) is a Black urban community in Atlanta. This exploratory study sought to 1) determine what community supports exist to support fathers, and 2) explore the lived experiences of being a father in this community. This research contributes to the literature about fathers as potential contributors to their families.Proposal text: Background / Rationale: The failure to focus on fathers runs counter to the empirical research suggesting dads are significant contributors to positive child development (Randles, 2020; Schoppe-Sullivan & Fagan, 2020, Cabrera et. Al, 2018). Research suggests that programs with a dedicated father component will lead to more sensitive mothering, supporting an even greater likelihood of positive child development (Tamis‐LeMonda et al., 2004). The objectives of this study were to understand the lived experiences of young, AA fathers and what supports were available to assist them in their fathering roles.
Methods: Atlanta’s NPU-V community was selected as the area of study because of its social and economic statistical disparities. AA make up 92% of the NPU-V population compared to 54% city-wide. Using purposive sampling protocol, men were recruited through neighborhood churches, barbershops, community centers, and outreach on various social media platforms. The study consisted of n=13 total participants who participated in n=3 separate focus groups. Some of the following semi-structured questions were asked:
Regarding the NPU-V community, what do men need to be an impactful father?
What have your experiences as a father been in the NPU-V?
What community supports are available to help you do or navigate your job as a father in the NPU-V?
The constant comparative method of qualitative analysis was used (Strauss & Corbin, 1988). To ensure reliability and accuracy results of coding, the following reliability procedures were used: 1) members of the research team had regular, documented meetings to analyze data and 2) cross-check codes were developed by the respective co-investigators and results were compared that were independently derived (Cresswell, 1998; Saldana, J. 2021).
Results: Father’s concerns centered on the trepidation that they felt because many of them did not have active fathers in their lives as children. Consequently, they questioned how effective they could be as fathers absent having had a positive role model. The participants also spoke specifically about the stigma they face as Black fathers. One father stated “Black fathers do not get recognized for being fathers. Everything goes to mothers.” Fathers the dearth of available supportive services in the NPU-V to assist fathers. One participant said, “for lack of a better term, there is no welfare system for men. . .There was consensus that there was limited access to support services and programs for fathers. This reality, combined with the fact that many of the men did not have active fathers themselves or did not have a lot of connections with other fathers, meant that the men had to be creative and innovative in the development of an informal network of fathering support.
Implications: The findings in the study stress the importance of community and social service agency’s supporting low-income, Black fathers along their fatherhood journey. Data obtained through this study will enable the community to take the pulse of local fathers to triage and better gauge needed services and policies. The hope is that this research will drive new programming and policy levers reflective of the local needs of fathers.
