Conceptualisations of fatherhood and socio-contextual dynamics influencing father involvement in informal settlements in Durban, South Africa

Many men living in informal settlements are unemployed and many do not live with their children. Nevertheless, these men can play a critical role in their children’s lives. In this paper, we explore the extent to which fathers in informal settlements manage or aspire to do this. We explore how they appreciate the social and familial role of “the father” and how they seek to translate these ideas into actions. Findings are based on three FGDs and 19 IDIs with young men in two informal settlements in South Africa. In this setting, father involvement is predicated on financial provision, yet lack of economic opportunities for men condemns them to the undesirable status of “failed fathers.” Men’s involvement in childcare is contested with some men supporting father involvement that goes beyond financial provision. Notions of traditional masculinity, praise and recognition by community, and the view that looking after your own child is tantamount to looking after your own future, are factors that enhance father involvement. Unemployment or precarious work, alcohol abuse, gender ideologies, and maternal and cultural gatekeeping are socio-contextual dynamics that undermine father involvement. For interventions to be effective in promoting father involvement, they should address critical context-specific issues.