NAVIGATING PATERNAL HURDLES: A STRENGTHS-BASED EXPLORATION OF THE WAYS YOUNG BLACK MEN CONSTRUCT AND ENACT FATHERHOOD IN SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA

Abstract

The literature on desistance and crime-prevention finds that paternal engagement is correlated with increased self-esteem, and decreased delinquency, criminality and recidivism for both fathers and children (Holmes et al., 2012; James, 2015; Makariev & Shaker, 2010; Martinez, DeGarmo, & Eddy, 2004; Visher et al., 2011). While there is a breadth of research examining the collateral consequences of justice-involvement, such as employer discrimination and housing insecurity, there remains a dearth of literature exploring how these consequences specifically impact fathering. Because paternal engagement has implications for public safety, it is imperative to identify the personal and environmental factors that facilitate or challenge paternal engagement and the ways that paternal identity construction influences how fathers engage with their children. The current study employs a strengths-based perspective that acknowledges broader contextual forces that can impact marginalized fathers and explores the process of paternal identity construction and enactment within a novel framework that integrates perspectives from bioecological theory and identity theory. In particular, it investigates the ways young Black fathers navigate and adapt to different barriers to fathering, with a specific focus on police encounters and hypersurveillance. The research design comprises a qualitative approach that begins with a narrative inquiry interview followed by a subsequent interview that expands on themes discovered during the narrative inquiry. The study draws from interviews with 50 Black fathers between the ages of 25-34, with at least one biological child, living in the 19143 zip code of Philadelphia. Guided by the Dynamic Identity Construction and Enactment (DICE) model, the current study finds that social interactions with family, community, and criminal justice agents; internalized images of fathers and police in the media; and historical phenomena, such as mass incarceration and the crack epidemic cumulatively impact both paternal identity construction and fathering behavior for young Black men living in Southwest Philadelphia. This study suggests the use of the DICE model in research with marginalized communities, as it engenders a strengths-based lens by exploring both individual and contextual influences on individuals and communities. Findings also suggest (a) a reframing of deviance, (b) the use of person-first language in order to lessen the stigma of a criminal record (i.e. using terms such as “incarcerated individuals” instead of “inmates”), (c) increased non-law related interactions between police and community members in order to enhance familiarity and assuage fear on both ends, (d) a shift towards community corrections in order for fathers to remain active in their children’s lives, and (e) a greater focus on community-based coparenting programs in order to ensure that fathers maintain access to their children.