Father involvement during early childhood: A systematic review of qualitative studies

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveIn this research, we analyze and integrate the qualitative empirical studies of father involvement, specifically examining his involvement in the multiple functions and dimensions of care during early childhood.BackgroundFather involvement is a relevant social and scientific topic given the changes in fathers' role in contemporary families. Fatherhood involving presence, affection, support, nurturance, as well as prioritizing child's needs, seems to be a perspective dominantly shared by parents. However, studies tend to focus on intact White middle‐class families, neglecting other backgrounds and family configurations, which may be easily examined through qualitative approaches.MethodA database search was performed using a combination of relevant keywords in the title, abstract, and keywords.ResultsInitially, 1,102 records were identified, with 58 manuscripts being assessed for eligibility. Finally, 16 articles were included. The analysis of the corpus identified three main themes: (a) the definition of father involvement and the description of main dimensions in which he was involved, (b) main challenges and facilitators of father involvement, and (c) the influence of intergenerational values on it.ConclusionsFindings provide insights about the multiple dimensions and roles related to father involvement, and they open new avenues for future research.ImplicationsThe results reflected the state of the art about father involvement in qualitative research. Suggestions are made to reinforce fathers' full involvement in childcare, at personal and social levels.