Making fathers: Black men's response to fatherhood initiatives

Policy makers are cognizant that ending welfare as we know it will not translate into the end of poverty among solo-mothering families. Thus, they have focused on promoting marriage and fatherhood among what are now termed "fragile families". The purpose of this study is to describe the lived experiences of Black men, who are among the targets of fatherhood and marriage promotion programs. To accomplish this goal, this exploratory study relies on a phenomenological approach. The value of employing this approach is that it is suitable for excavating and surfacing deep issues. More importantly, a phenomenological approach is key to giving voice to those who are often silenced and or rendered invisible in the policy making process. I employ in-depth interviews to help us better understand men's lived experiences with fatherhood. In-depth interviews of participants and non-participants of fatherhood programs further our comprehension: on how Black men view the role of fathers; what obstacles are confronted that might prohibit these individuals from maintaining relationships with their children; and whether the promotion of paternal relations over content provides stability for these families. By centering the voices of these men, our theoretical understandings and our policy prescriptives would be enhanced. © 2009 Springer Science + Business Media, LLC.