Challenging Stereotypes and Broadening Perspectives: A Thematic Analysis of Fatherhood Representation in Human Behavior in the Social Environment Textbooks

Background: Past research has demonstrated that fathers play a vital role in their children’s emotional, cognitive, and mental health outcomes. Research also suggests that ecological systems may affect fathers’ lifecourse development thereby impacting their relationship with children. Factors within the social environment (e.g., historical legacy of colonization, racism, and poverty) create harmful conditions that hinder the involvement of racial and ethnic minority fathers with their children. This may compromise their capacity to positively impact their children's development. Furthermore, research on the social environment often fails to adequately address the unique experiences and resilience of racial and ethnic minority fathers, which may help them overcome obstacles and foster positive child developmental outcomes.

Methods: To examine the representation of fathers in human behavior in the social environment (HBSE) literature, we carried out a thematic analysis of six HBSE textbooks published between 2013 and 2019. Our content analysis employed a three-cycle coding process with three coders. In the first cycle, we used automatic coding for keywords (e.g., "father," "fathers," "fathering," "fatherhood," "dad," "grandfather") and associated text pertaining to fathers. During the second cycle, we manually coded the primary text content and vignettes, which we then organized into relevant coding categories in the third cycle. Lastly, we engaged in a reflexive analysis of the meanings embedded within the textual content related to fathers, focusing on common stereotypes, misrepresentations, oversimplifications, and omissions that we anticipated finding in the HBSE textbook content on fathers.

Results: Our thematic analysis revealed dominant themes regarding fathers in HBSE textbooks. Fathers were underrepresented in textbooks compared to mothers. When fathers were presented, they were often portrayed as breadwinners or financial providers, while mothers were depicted as primary caretakers and nurturers. Vignettes featuring fathers depicted them in a negative light as strict, uninvolved, or harmful, and their emotional and nurturing aspects were often ignored. Textbooks often failed to acknowledge the diversity of fathering experiences, including those of single fathers, gay fathers, transgender fathers, or fathers of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. The dedication of fathers of color to their children and families, in the face of challenges, was not adequately addressed in textbooks.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings suggest that HBSE textbooks may perpetuate narrow and stereotypical views of fathers and fatherhood roles. This may have negative impacts on social work researchers’ understanding of and inquiry into fathers and their role in child development. The lack of content on how the social environment may impact fathers’ development and involvement with their child may lead to the conclusion that lower rates of father involvement are due to individual choices or characteristics of fathers, rather than a result of larger social and structural factors including racism, inequality, oppression, cultural expectation, and gender bias. This limited understanding can contribute to the stigmatization of fathers of color who may be actively involved in their children’s development–perpetuating the belief that fatherhood is a secondary or unimportant role in child development.