EXPLORING THE SOCIAL PROCESS OF CAREGIVING IN FATHERS: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY

The global agenda for gender equality recognizes unpaid domestic caregiving in the home as the largest barrier to gender equality. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to explore the social process of caregiving in fathers and identify the patterns that influence caregiving in fathers. Recruited from multiple community settings, thirty-five fathers participated in intensive interviews with the investigator. Guided by the Swanson’s (2013) Theory of Caring and using iterative categorization during data analysis, this study proposed the action-based Caregiving in Fathers Theory. The three main themes of the theory are Reinventing the Kitchen Table, Creating a Home and Being More than The Commander. Fathers identified the barriers of exhaustion, preoccupation, social culture, and controlling forces. Fathers identified the passages of love, expectations, support, and lifestyle. For fathers, gender equality in society begins with accepting fathers as proficient, competent, and primary caregivers. The results of this study can be utilized by healthcare professionals, educators, and other disciplines to understand the social process of caregiving in fathers. Future research could explore the role of sex or related phenomenon, such as disability, on caregiving.