Exploring rrban fathers’ involvement for children's socio-emotional development in the early years: a fathers’ perception study

Abstract

Fatherhood is a critical component in the construction of male identities all over the world. Men experience this complex and constantly evolving socio-cultural construction in their own ways through their unique upbringing and exposure to diverse life experiences within their socio-cultural environment. This study attempts to explore the perceptions of current generation of urban fathers to capture aspects of their involvement for their children’s socio-emotional development in the early years. This exploration is based on a qualitative study among a group of 7 fathers currently residing in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. Results show tremendous influence of practices from previous generations resulting in the mindfulness and active involvement in how differently fathers currently engage with their children while channeling their unique individual influences from previous generations. Fathers share their dedication to daily engagement practices, their life experiences and the environmental factors shaping their child-rearing beliefs and practices in their efforts to support the socio-emotional development of their children within the Bangladeshi context.