A Dialectic of Vulnerability and Resilience: Nonresidential Fathers Living in Poverty in Israel

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of poverty-stricken Israeli nonresidential fathers raising their children in a disadvantaged neighborhood characterized by poverty and hardship. Using a case study design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 nonresidential fathers living in poverty. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed, and two themes emerged. The first focuses on the challenges and barriers to the fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives. The second focuses on the elements that create support networks in the neighborhood context. Our findings suggest the importance of adopting an intersectional perspective on manhood and fatherhood. This could facilitate a better understanding of the complex experience of nonresidential fathers living in poverty by exploring issues of power relations and oppression while remaining sensitive to differences both within and among social groups.