The Voices, Views, and Experiences of 13 Nonresident African American Fathers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
St. John Fisher College Fisher Digital Publications Education Doctoral Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education 12-2012 The Voices, Views, and Experiences of 13 Nonresident African American Fathers David Asbery St. John Fisher College Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd Part of the Education Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Recommended Citation Asbery, David, "The Voices, Views, and Experiences of 13 Nonresident African American Fathers" (2012). Education Doctoral. Paper 138. Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations. This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/138 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Voices, Views, and Experiences of 13 Nonresident African American Fathers Abstract This qualitative study focused on how nonresident African American fathers maintain their role as fathers while dealing with the stereotypes, myths, and ambiguities associated with nonresident fatherhood. In addition, this study explored some of the cultural challenges specific ot the experience of the nonresident African American father. The qualitative inquiry research explored the nonresident African American father’s experience through interviews with 13 nonresident African American fathers to gain insight about their perspectives on being a nonresident African American father. For this study, six open-ended questions were selected from the research literature. The aim of this study was to fill a oidv by offering to the academic community, a fresh perspective on the experience of African American fatherhood. Qualitative analysis of interview data yielded a core theme, which became the grounded theory that emerged from the research. The theory is that nonresident African American fathers experience a sense of powerlessness with regards to fatherhood, particularly in regards to negative stereotypes of African American fathers, their own experiences of being sons of African American fathers, the challenges of financially supporting their children, their ability to evaluate their efficacy as fathers, and their disproportionate need for affirmation. The researcher recommends that continuing efforts be made to conduct similar studies on a much larger scale. Document Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor Christopher Griffin Second Supervisor Janice Kelly Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/138 The Voices, Views, and Experiences of 13 Nonresident African American Fathers By David Asbery Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Ed.D. in Executive Leadership Supervised by Christopher Griffin, Ed.D. Committee Member Janice Kelly, Ph.D. Ralph C. Wilson Jr., School of Education St. John Fisher College December 2012 Dedication Thank you to my wife, Tanisha Thomas Asbery, who has stood by me during all of my endeavors. She has provided me with the inspiration to keep moving forward and I would have never completed this program without her assistance. I must also thank my mother, Hattie Lee Asbery and my mother in-law, Brenda Lang Thomas, whose continued support has helped me to endure and prosper. To my sister and my brother, Angela and Joseph Asbery, I thank you for cheering me on and keeping me focused. Special thanks to Dr. Johana Rivera, Dr. Ellen Gambino, Dr. Dwight Bonk, Dr. Carleen Evans, Keleisha Phillip, Maurena Holder, and Sonia Robinson for all of their love and support. I would like to thank my chair, my mentor, and my committee members, Dr. Christopher Griffin, Dr. Janice Kelly, and Dr. Jerry Willis for bestowing upon me the knowledge, guidance, and inspiration that I needed to complete this journey. Last, I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my father, Mr. Harry Lee Asbery. Every son should be so lucky to have a father like you. I will continue to follow your lead and work hard in the field of fatherhood with the goal of inspiring mothers and fathers to recognize their full potential as parents. I love you and I miss you. ii Biographical Sketch David Asbery currently works for a New York City real estate firm as the Director of Records and Office Services. The author of four books and numerous articles on the topic of fatherhood, Mr. Asbery received his baccalaureate and master’s degrees from the College of New Rochelle. In the summer of 2010, Mr. Asbery came to St. John Fisher College and began his doctoral studies in the Ed.D. Program in Executive Leadership. Under the direction of Dr. Christopher Griffin, Dr. Janice Kelly, and Dr. Jerry Willis, Mr. Asbery’s research study focused on the voices, views, and experiences of 13 nonresident African American fathers. Mr. Asbery received his Ed.D degree in Executive Leadership in 2013. iii Abstract This qualitative study focused on how nonresident African American fathers maintain their role as fathers while dealing with the stereotypes, myths, and ambiguities associated with nonresident fatherhood. In addition, this study explored some of the cultural challenges specific to the experience of the nonresident African American father. The qualitative inquiry research explored the nonresident African American father’s experience through interviews with 13 nonresident African American fathers to gain insight about their perspectives on being a nonresident African American father. For this study, six open-ended questions were selected from the research literature. The aim of this study was to fill a void by offering to the academic community, a fresh perspective on the experience of African American fatherhood. Qualitative analysis of interview data yielded a core theme, which became the grounded theory that emerged from the research. The theory is that nonresident African American fathers experience a sense of powerlessness with regards to fatherhood, particularly in regards to negative stereotypes of African American fathers, their own experiences of being sons of African American fathers, the challenges of financially supporting their children, their ability to evaluate their efficacy as fathers, and their disproportionate need for affirmation. The researcher recommends that continuing efforts be made to conduct similar studies on a much larger scale. iv Table of Contents Dedication ........................................................................................................................... ii Biographical Sketch ........................................................................................................... iii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Background Information ................................................................................................. 1 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................... 3 Theoretical Rationale ...................................................................................................... 4 Statement of Purpose ...................................................................................................... 5 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 6 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................ 6 Definition of Terms......................................................................................................... 7 Chapter Summary ........................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature .................................................................................... 9 Divorce, the New Social Institution ................................................................................ 9 The Nuclear Family and the Contemporary Father ...................................................... 10 The African American Nuclear Family ........................................................................ 13 Separated and Divorced Families ................................................................................. 16 v The Consensus on Fatherhood Involvement ................................................................. 18 The Consensus on African American Father Involvement ........................................... 19 Slavery and Institutionalized Racism...........................................................................