Talking South African fathers: a critical examination of men's constructions and experiences of fatherhood and fatherlessness

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Author	Ratele, Kopano Shefer, Samara Clowes, Lindsay
Abstract	Jhe absence of biological fathers in South Africa has been constructed as a problem for children of °°th sexes but more so for boy-children. Arguably the dominant discourse in this respect has ¡temonized non-nuclear, female-headed households. Fathers are constructed as either absent or 'bad'. Jhus it has become important to explore more closely how male care-givers have been experienced ty groups of men in South Africa. This article examines discourses of fatherhood and fatherlessness y drawing on qualitative interviews with a group of 29 men who speak about their reported expe-l^nces and understandings of being fathered or growing up without biological fathers. Two major and ^tertwined subjugated discourses about adult men's experiences of being fathered that counter-glance the prevailing discourses about meaning of fatherhood and fatherlessness became evident, narriely, 'being always there ' and 'talking fatherhood'. The importance of the experience of fatherhood a j * 'being there '.which relates to a quality of time and relationship between child and father rather than Physical time together, is illustrated. It is not only biological fathers who can 'be there ' for their sons jjut also social fathers, other significant male role models and father figures who step in at different ^BS in participants ' lives when biological fathers are unavailable for whatever reason. Second, many Positive experiences of fathers or father figures that resist a traditional role of authority and control and
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