Date

2010

Author

Ünlü, Şenil

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Three purposes of this study are (1) to explore the general pattern of Turkish fathers’ and their own fathers’ involvement level, (2) to investigated the possible effect of perceived own father involvement level on fathers own involvement level to their 0-8 year-old children’s lives (2) to examine the determinants of fathers’ involvement into their 0-8 year old children. The participants in this study were 528 biological-resident fathers, who live in different districts of Ankara, the central city of Turkey. All of these fathers have at least one child who is between the ages of 0 and 8. The data of this study were collected through three different scales, Fatherhood Scale ( Dick, 2000), Inventory of Father Involvement ( Hawkins et al.,2002) and Suppose Support Scale (Yıldırım,2004). In addition to these scales a demographic information form was also sent to fathers. The data were examined through a statistical analysis program. The results of descriptive analysis illustrated that fathers of both generation mostly engage in activities related to their provider role and their least engagement occurs in activities related with availability. MANOVA results indicated that there is a mean differences among three groups of fathers in the IFI 1 (Mother support and teaching) and IFI 3 (Availability) variable. On the other hand, Multiple Linear Regression Analysis indicated that only fathers’ age, their age of being father and their perceptions about how their suppose support them are significant predictors of fathers’ involvement level in their 0-8 year-old children’s lives. Results of this study suggest the following implications. First, fathers, mothers or even children should be educated about the importance of paternal involvement. Second, in the current study two scales related with father involvement were adapted to Turkish culture. These two scales can be used in further research. Third, since different factor structures have been yielded through EFA from original factor structure, this study supported the idea that father involvement and fatherhood is a cultural issue. Although cultural issues were considered during adaptation process, since scales about father involvement were developed in Western cultures, evaluations about fathers’ involvement were done according to Western criteria. This study can encourage researchers to develop a cultural conceptualization of fatherhood and father involvement.

Subject Keywords

Fatherhood.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12612502/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/20217

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis