Nova Southeastern University Masthead Logo NSUWorks Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses CAHSS Theses and Dissertations and Dissertations 1-1-2019 A Phenomenological Research Study on the Effects of Paternal Abandonment on Hispanic Women in South Florida and their Conflict Management Skills Diana Herrera Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] This document is a product of extensive research conducted at the Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. For more information on research and degree programs at the NSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, please click here. Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd Part of the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Diana Herrera. 2019. A Phenomenological Research Study on the Effects of Paternal Abandonment on Hispanic Women in South Florida and their Conflict Management Skills. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies. (123) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd/123. This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses and Dissertations at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Phenomenological Research Study on the Effects of Paternal Abandonment on Hispanic Women in South Florida and their Conflict Management Skills by Diana Herrera A Dissertation Presented to the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences of Nova Southeastern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Nova Southeastern University 2019 Copyright © by Diana Herrera March 2019 Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences This dissertation was submitted by Diana Herrera under the direction of the chair of the dissertation committee listed below. It was submitted to the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and approved in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Nova Southeastern University. Approved: March 6, 2019 _____________________ Date of Defense Alexia Georgakopoulos, Ph.D. Chair _____________________ Martha Marquez, Ph.D. _____________________ Dustin Berna, Ph.D. ___________________March 23, 2019 _____________________ Date of Final Approval Alexia Georgakopoulos, Ph.D. Chair Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to the participants in this study. Without them, this study would have not been possible. To all those women who have experienced and will experience father abandonment, I hope this research is helpful in understanding this phenomenon. Especially, I would like to dedicate this study to the most important women in my life: my mother, for being a single mother working many jobs and still supporting your daughters every day of your life; my sister, for growing up without a father and still becoming a strong and hard working woman; and my daughter, to guide you and show you that growing up without a father is not an obstacle but a motivation to help you become anything you want to be in life. Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge everyone who has helped me on this journey. First and foremost, I would like to thank my family. To my kids: Rudy, Valerie and Gian, thank you for your patience because there were many days where we could have been at the park but instead I was home writing. Kids, I love you with all of my heart! To my number one fan, my husband, Olvin thank you for your encouragement, perseverance and love for me throughout this process. To my mother and sisters, you were the motivation for this research. Thank you for being my rock! I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Alexia Georgakopoulos. Without your guidance and mentorship, I would have not been able to complete this study. You have been my role model throughout this process. My committee members, Dr. Dustin Berna and Dr. Martha Marquez who provided valuable insights to this research, thank you for your guidance. To my close friends and colleagues, Helen Rodriguez, thank you for your encouragement and being there in my most difficult times. Karina Pavone, Jefa, thank you for your mentorship and friendship. Juan Carlos De La Blanca, thank you for designing the recruitment flyer. To all of the professors at Nova Southeastern University that I have had the pleasure of interacting with, thank you for your knowledge, without it, I would not be where I am today. To all of you who supported this research, I owe immense gratitude and my thank you comes straight from the heart. Table of Contents List of Tables .................................................................................................................. v List of Figures ................................................................................................................ vi Abstract ......................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1 Introductions to the Study .............................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................... 2 Purpose Statement ................................................................................................. 4 Chapter 2 Literature Review ......................................................................................... 11 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 11 Latinos vs. Hispanics .......................................................................................... 11 Hispanic American Culture ................................................................................. 14 Hispanic Women in the United States ................................................................ 17 Divorce in the Latin American Culture .............................................................. 18 Divorce and Children .......................................................................................... 19 Divorce and Women ........................................................................................... 21 Research Question ................................................................................................... 23 Father Abandonment and Its Effects ................................................................... 23 Different Stages of a Daughter’s Development .................................................. 26 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................ 29 Phenomenology as a Theory ............................................................................... 29 Attachment Theory ............................................................................................. 33 Social Construction Theory ................................................................................ 39 Chapter 3 Research Methodology ................................................................................. 42 i Introduction .............................................................................................................. 42 Transcendental Phenomenology ......................................................................... 43 Participants .......................................................................................................... 46 Recruitment ......................................................................................................... 49 Process ................................................................................................................ 50 Data Collection ................................................................................................... 52 Informed Consent ................................................................................................ 54 Confidentiality .................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 4 Analysis and Findings .................................................................................. 56 Step 1. Listing and Preliminary Grouping (Horizonalization) ............................ 56 Step 2. Reduction and Elimination ..................................................................... 56 Step 3. Clustering and Thematizing the Invariant Constituents ......................... 57 Step 4. Final Identification of the Invariant Constituents and themes ................ 57 Step 5. Individual Textual Description ............................................................... 58 Step 6. Individual Structural Description ............................................................ 58 Step 7. Participant Textural-Structural Description ............................................ 58 Step 8. Composite Group Description ................................................................ 58 Findings .................................................................................................................... 59 Negative Impact ......................................................................................................