Abstract

ISOTTON, Rogério  and  FALCKE, Denise. Fatherhood in post-divorce families whose father has unilateral custody over the children. Rev. Subj. [online]. 2014, vol.14, n.3, pp.486-498. ISSN 2359-0769.

The concept of fatherhood contemporaneously motivated by various social movements has been changing, redefining itself differently from traditional fatherhood, whose father held the power and fulfilled the responsibility for family maintenance, among other duties that would distance him from the family. Today, some fathers experience different models from the traditional one, exercising fatherhood with greater participation in domestic activities, in the care and education of children, and establishing close warm and loving bonds to the kids and wife. From this new scenario outlined in the literature, this study aims to understand the fatherhood exercise in post-divorce families, whose father has unilateral custody over the children. In this qualitative research, three fathers have participated, with ages between 29 and 44 years, with unilateral custody for a period longer than six months, and having at least one child between 6 and 13 years of age. It was observed that the fathers investigated exercised fatherhood in a diverse way from the traditional, albeit in a differentiated form between them. They relate to the children affectionately, and emphasize the value of closeness and the satisfaction they feel by exercising parenting this way. By living together alone with the children, the parents build up the housework, the care and education of children, as well as a family provider role. As a result, they share certain tasks with the children, usually the housework, while the costs with health, school supplies, clothing and any possible care needs of children they receive assistance from some family members of origin. For their livelihood, the fathers carry out professional activities that enable them working at home, being able to manage it with flexible schedules. In two of the cases, there was a distancing from the mother towards the father's family, but in another, the mother received regular visits from the child.

Keywords : fatherhood; father; child custody; family; single- parent families.

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