The Perceptions and Experiences of Russian Immigrant and Sudanese Refugee Men as Fathers in an Urban Center in Canada

Abstract

In their effort to adapt to life in Canada, immigrant and refugee fathers encounter several stressors, including underemployment and role changes within their families. Through a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with fourteen Russian immigrant and twenty Sudanese refugee men in Canada, the authors examine the perceptions and experiences of these men as fathers in a large urban center in western Canada. The authors present insights on the meaning of fatherhood, the values that guide their behaviors as fathers, their interactions with and aspirations for their children, decision-making processes within the family related to children, and the challenges these men have faced as fathers in Canadian society.