Just Doing What They Gotta Do

Abstract

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 problemfocused 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.

“Depends on the Father”: Defining Problematic Paternal Substance Use During Pregnancy and Early Parenthood

“…This mirrors the experience of fathers in other contexts who often feel excluded or judged when using prenatal services (Coles 2009;Ross et al 2012;Steen et al 2012). In their review of men's experiences of maternity care, Steen et al (2012) conclude that fathers cannot effectively support their partner during pregnancy and early parenting if they themselves are not supported.…”

“…Excluding fathers who may be considered risky without first offering comprehensive targeted support denies them an important opportunity to change, and denies their children a better chance to grow up with a healthy relationship with their fathers (Coles 2009). Yet the inclusion of fathers in programming for families with experiences of violence is not and will not be simple.…”

Multidimensional social support and parenting among Black fathers: A profile‐oriented approach

“…Another strength of the study is the focus on various sources of support. As previously mentioned, many studies on social support often aggregate support dimensions (Castillo & Sarver, 2012; Coles, 2009; DeGarmo et al, 2008), making it difficult to understand within‐group variation among sources of social support. Utilizing a latent profile approach deepens our understanding of how the various dimensions work together within a real‐life context.…”

“…Some of the research has found that Black men note sources of support that are used to combat family‐ and parenting‐related stressors. Beyond the general function of social support, however, studies indicate that fathers often desire social support to help navigate the day‐to‐day challenges of fathering (Coles, 2009; Doyle et al, 2014). Largely, the literature has highlighted co‐parenting relationships and romantic partnerships (Doyle et al, 2014; Perry et al, 2012).…”

“…Theoretical and empirical studies have revealed the indirect and direct impacts of social and contextual stressors on well‐being and parenting (Abidin, 1992; Castillo & Sarver, 2012; Coates & Phares, 2014; Coles, 2009). In the face of stressors, studies indicate that Black men often employ coping strategies that include proximal and extended social support networks (Billingsley, 1992; Ross & Aday, 2006; Utsey et al, 2007).…”