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African American Daughters And Non Residential Fathers : A Qualitative Exploration

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African American Daughters and Non-Residential Fathers: A Qualitative Exploration
La Toi S Smith

Chapter 1
Introduction
I spent the majority of my life being raised by a single mother due to my parents’ divorce. Because of my parents’ divorce, my mother stated firmly that I had changed and became a difficult child. I remember rebelling, suffering with low self-esteem and self-worth and blaming myself for the absence of my father. It was not until I was well into womanhood that I found peace within myself, as well as with my nonresidential father. Through the preparation for this study, I have a better understanding of the external and internal factors that can and will affect the father-daughter relationship.
Some scholars have argued the notion that fathers are important contributors to their children and adolescents’ psychosocial development (Mandara, Murray, & Joyner, 2005). According to Allgood, Beckert, and Peterson (2012), researchers are beginning to understand the importance of examining children’s perspectives and the relationships and levels of involvement children have with their fathers.
According to Conner and White (2006), the traditional definition of fatherhood within the African American community underestimates the role of a father and further do not describe the systems that surround the African American experience adequately. Many interpretations of “fathers” have been discussed, with several scholars working from different perspectives offering

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