Dissertation
Daddy's girl: a phenomenological study of the influence of father abandonment on young women
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000119
Abstract
Previous researchers have described the decline of fatherhood as one of the most simple, unanticipated, and extraordinary trends of our time affecting one out of three children in America (Blankenhorn, 1995; Popenoe, 1996; Vespa, Lewis, & Kreider, 2013). This decline in fatherhood is further established to contribute to societal issues including substance abuse, crime, sexual promiscuity, teenage pregnancy, and the increasing number of women and children living in poverty. Existing research on father abandonment is predominantly from the perspective of sons; little research is available on the daughter's perspective. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of young women who experienced father abandonment during adolescence after parental relationship breakdown. This study explored the perspectives of 14 women between the ages of 24 and 44 that experienced father abandonment during adolescence due to parental divorce or relationship breakdown. From analysis of the data captured through one-on-one interviews and observations, textural descriptions of the young womens' experiences revealed the essence of father abandonment. The key findings centered on relationship patterns, self-image, disappointment, resilience and acceptance of the experience father absence. These findings served as the foundation of practical recommendations as well as suggestions for future research. The research questions that guided this study were: 1. How do daughters abandoned by their biological father, after parental divorce or separation, describe the essence of their lived experiences in growing up without their father's presence? 2. How do these women describe the effect that father abandonment had on their lived experiences as an adult? 3. How do daughters describe the effect of father absence on their perceived self-efficacy?
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Details
- Title
- Daddy's girl
- Creators
- Krystal L. Corwin-Brown
- Contributors
- Kathy Dee Geller (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 115 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991014695235104721