Paternal Incarceration and the Academic Lives of Prim
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‘It’ll always be a part of him but it’s not going to define him’: Paternal incarceration and the academic lives of primary and pre-school children in Ireland – pathways to resilience or maladaptation? A dissertation submitted to Trinity College Dublin in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy Ashling Ryan-Mangan Supervisor: Dr. David Limond Submitted: September 2017 Date awarded: January 2019 Declaration I declare that this thesis has not been submitted as an exercise for a degree at this or any other university and it is entirely my own work. I agree to deposit this thesis in the University’s open access institutional repository or allow the Library to do so on my behalf, subject to Irish Copyright Legislation and Trinity College Library conditions of use and acknowledgement. I consent to the examiner retaining a copy of the thesis beyond the examining period, should they so wish (EU GDPR May 2018). Name: ____________________________________________________ Signed: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________________________________________________ i Summary This research explores the lives of pre- and primary school children with fathers in prison in Ireland. More specifically, it examines how paternal incarceration influences a child’s academic life, which is defined here in terms of personal, social and academic characteristics. A growing body of research has highlighted the deleterious impacts a parent’s incarceration can have on a child, but few have approached the issue from an academic perspective; thus, very little is known about the lives these children lead inside the school gates. The purpose of the literature review is to assemble and critically examine existing research in order to piece together what is actually known about the academic lives of children with incarcerated fathers and, in so doing, to inform the development of research questions. It first explores the repercussions of a father’s departure from the home, including emotional and developmental outcomes as well as the specific voids left by absent fathers. Existing research has highlighted a number of moderating factors that could serve either to reduce or increase the impact of paternal absence through incarceration, such as the level and quality of parent-child contact before and during incarceration and a child’s age or gender. But it is clear from existing studies that having a father (or mother) sentenced to prison has repercussions for children that extend beyond those pertaining solely to the absence of a parent. For example, financial insecurity, residential instability and social exclusion have been well-documented by researchers as difficulties faced by families of incarcerated parents. Having discussed these and similar (indirect) effects of paternal imprisonment, the literature review proceeds to examine existing research relating to the educational outcomes of children with incarcerated parents, before considering specific emotional and behavioural reactions and health considerations. The research questions that emerged from a comprehensive review of the literature were: What are the experiences of pre- and primary school children in Ireland who have a father in prison? ii How are these experiences interpreted by children with incarcerated fathers and key members in their lives? What impacts do these experiences and interpretations have on children’s approaches to schoolwork, their attitudes to school and learning and their academic performance? What effects do these experiences and interpretations have on interactions relating to children’s academic lives? Set in an interpretivist paradigm and guided at all times by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological/Bioecological Systems Theory, the research adopted a multiple case study approach. Data were generated primarily from interviews (with fathers in prison, mothers/carers of children with fathers in prison, teachers of children with fathers in prison and other relevant professionals), but also through the analysis of documents (created by or pertaining to children with fathers in prison) and observation. The process of data analysis commenced with the transcription of interviews and proceeded to incorporate Miles and Huberman’s three elements of data reduction, data display and drawing and verifying conclusions (1994). This study confirms previous research findings in concluding that, first, paternal incarceration is typically experienced alongside a range of other forms of upheaval, second, it is rarely seen as anything other than a negative experience for families of offenders and, third, prison visits constitute one of the most challenging aspects of the experience for children, emotionally-speaking. Regarding the primary focus of the study and in contributing to advancing knowledge, this research proceeds to identify seven mechanisms through which paternal incarceration has impacts on children’s academic lives, namely: maternal coping and overall parenting skills; children’s emotional and behavioural reactions; the roles played by teachers (generally influenced by the quality of home-school links); the removal of fathers who conduct school-related tasks; children’s social interactions with friends and other peers; school-related attitudes and expectations/ambitions for the future; and interactions at more distal levels of Bronfenbrenner’s EST. In so doing, the research draws attention to multiple ways in which support might be applied and, thus, potentially influence the academic lives and future trajectories of these children. iii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the 23 participants who gave generously of their time and openly shared their experiences with me. Without their participation and cooperation, this research would not have been possible. I am particularly grateful also to my supervisor, Dr. David Limond. Since our first meeting in 2013, his dedication, intelligence and patience have both inspired and encouraged me. Without his thorough reading of my draft chapters, his prompt and comprehensive answers to my various questions and his invaluable advice and guidance, I do not believe I would (or could) have completed this thesis. His support was palpable at each stage of the process and his witty comments and overall good humour rendered the whole experience enjoyable, even when things were not going according to plan. Heartfelt thanks go to Larry de Cléir and all the staff at Bedford Row Family Project for their invaluable assistance and ongoing kindness. The warm welcome they extended to me was very much appreciated. I am also extremely grateful to the Irish Prison Service for facilitating access to father participants and I would like to extend a sincere thank you to those particular governors and officers who went above and beyond in assisting me as I attempted to recruit participants. Indeed, thank you to all those who met with me, returned my phone calls, responded to my emails and/or forwarded my research information to prospective participants during the recruitment process. To those of you with whom I have had the pleasure to work – on this and other related projects/ventures – during my time at Trinity College and, in particular, to all in the School of Education, I thank you most sincerely. I would like to extend a huge thank you to my loyal and patient friends and family members who supported me on a personal level over the last number of years and, thankfully, did not take offence at my lack of availability in recent times. A special thank you to my uncle, Noel, and godmother, Siobhán, for providing me with my very own workstation! iv Unfortunately, some of those who supported me as I set out on my doctoral journey are no longer with us. Nevertheless, I would like to acknowledge my gratitude to: my father, Paul, for everything that words cannot express but the heart knows. my mother-in-law, Kay, whose words of encouragement remained audible long after she had passed. Bernard and Joy (whom I consider to have been my third set of grandparents), for their unreserved kindness and encouragement. our friend, Aiden, whose advice to “Get some rest, girl!” persuaded me, on several occasions, to hit the hay in the wee hours of the morning. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my sister, Lorna, and my niece, Bronwyn, for their invaluable support, especially in the run-up to my submission date in September 2017, when they regularly entertained and cared for a very special little man. I am profoundly and eternally grateful to my mother, Breeda, who - from the moment I was born - has been the most influential person in my life. From an early age, she instilled in me a strong work ethic and cultivated a natural curiosity that eventually led to my becoming engaged in doctoral studies at Trinity College Dublin. Her unconditional love, devotion and unwavering belief in my abilities have given me the strength to pursue my dreams in all aspects of my life. Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful husband, James, and our children. James has listened patiently to my thoughts and concerns over the last few years, knowing instinctively when I simply needed him to be a sounding board for my ideas, when he should offer advice and when cups of tea and chocolate treats were required! Without his unwavering support and encouragement, I would not have been able to complete this thesis (at least not as a sane person)! My son, Darragh, has been a very well-behaved little