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Father Stories

A Life Course Examination of Paternal Identity Among Low-Income African American Men

University of Maryland

Life history interviews were conducted with 40 low-income noncustodial African American men in three age cohorts. Using four elements of a life course perspective (human agency, linked lives, social context, and multiple rhythms of time), the author explored how the stories that men told of their fathers' life experiences shaped their own paternal identities. Three narrative themes (stability, liminality, and inquiry) gave meaning to men's struggles to become involved fathers and linked them to similar challenges faced by their fathers years earlier. Differences in narrative construction between cohorts suggest how sociohistorical context defines opportunities for men to become involved parents.

Key Words: fatherhood • African American • families • life course • identity

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