Patterns of Father Involvement in Low Income Families

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In search of security in work and family roles, low-income fathers struggle to remain tenuously attached to the labor market and, as a result, to their partners and children. As they move in and out of jobs, residence, and intimate relationships, these fathers may become involved with some children and not with others. The broad long-term objective of this application is to identify conditions that lead to the differential involvement of transitory fathers on the margins of work and family. The specific aims are (1) to document transitions in low-income fathers' work and family roles over time and (2) to explore how men interpret differential involvement as providers and caregivers for children in multiple families. This research is relevant to the health of children and families in that involved fathers can provide resources and social capital to pull children and families out of poverty. A qualitative research design with purposeful sampling for a racially/ethnically diverse group of 35 fathers with children in two or more families will be utilized. The methods to be used are two semistructured interviews, including a life history protocol with calendar grid (to trace transitions in employment, family relationships, and residence) and a father involvement protocol (to explore fathers' interpretations of transitory involvement with multiple children over time).