Male attitudes towards children, fatherhood, and childrearing: a descriptive profile from South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS)
SOURCE: The Open Family Studies Journal
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2014
TITLE AUTHOR(S): A.J.Franklin, M.Makiwane, T.Makusha
KEYWORDS: CHILDREN, FATHERHOOD, MEN, SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL ATTITUDES SURVEY (SASAS)
DEPARTMENT: Public Health, Societies and Belonging (HSC)
Intranet: HSRC Library: shelf number 8470
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/2120
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/2120
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2014
TITLE AUTHOR(S): A.J.Franklin, M.Makiwane, T.Makusha
KEYWORDS: CHILDREN, FATHERHOOD, MEN, SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL ATTITUDES SURVEY (SASAS)
DEPARTMENT: Public Health, Societies and Belonging (HSC)
Intranet: HSRC Library: shelf number 8470
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/2120
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/2120
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
South African male attitudes towards children, fatherhood and childrearing remain an important topic for research and policy development given concerns about men's engagement with children and the family. This study utilizes a subsample of males from the national South African Social Attitudes Survey to profile attitudes of males cross analysed by survey designated racial groups. Results show that males in general, have a positive attitude towards having children and feel that they are not a burden. A greater number of Black African males than the other racial groups believe children are a financial burden and restrict employment choices. Most males believe that men want to have a loving relationship with children and perform best as fathers if married to the mother. The majority of them believe that it is a crisis in the country that many fathers do not co-reside with their children. Consistent across racial groups, most males are split about discipline with half believing in spanking, and that it teaches children right from wrong. Most males believe that it is better to talk to children than spank them. In examining responses to survey questions, Black African males trended away from the prevalent attitudes more than Coloured, Asian Indian, and White males. Family service providers can utilize these attitudes of men in planning intervention programs and policy development.-
Related Research Outputs:
- The fatherhood project: confronting issues of masculinity and sexuality
- Fatherhood: promoting men's care and protection of children
- BABA: men and fatherhood in South Africa
- Introduction
- The state as non-biological 'father': exploring the experience of fathering in a South African state institution in the period 1950 to 1970
- Children's views of fathers
- "He is my hero": men and fatherhood in South Africa
- Men & fatherhood
- Child poverty and social exclusion in South Africa
- Fatherhood and families
- Children's experiences of support received from men in rural KwaZulu-Natal
- Fathers and other men in the lives of children and families
- "The good and the bad?": childhood experiences with fathers and their influence on women's expectations and men's experiences of fathering in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Emotion as opportunity: reflections on multiple concurrent partnerships among young men in South Africa
- Men's pathways to parenthood: silences and heterosexual gender norms
- "I should maintain a healthy life now and not just live as I please": men's health and fatherhood in rural South Africa
- Queer(ing) fatherhood: extending South African research on fatherhood
- Fatherhood & family diversity: a content analysis of constructions of gay fathers in SA news media
- Gay men as parents and caregivers: information for South African service providers
- Gay men as parents: analysing resistant talk in South African mainstream media accounts of queer families