The Role of Father with Fatherless Backgrounds in The Familly

Abstract

Father involvement in child upbringing has increasingly become a focus of society, along with growing awareness that the role of fathers is as significant as that of mothers in supporting children’s development. This study is grounded in the social phenomenon that individuals who grow up without a father figure (fatherless) often face particular challenges when constructing their paternal roles within their own families, especially in terms of communication, emotional closeness, and parenting responsibilities. This study aims to explore patterns of interpersonal communication between fathers with a fatherless background and their children. A qualitative research design with a case study approach was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of interpersonal communication between fathers and their children. The informants in this study were 5 men with a fatherless background who are currently married and have children. The findings reveal that growing up without a father figure generates a motivation for role transformation among the informants, reflected in their tendency to become more empathetic, protective, and affectionate in performing their roles as fathers. The informants demonstrate a strong desire to become better fathers than those they experienced in their childhood. In addition, the informants exhibit patterns of psychosocial compensation by engaging in more intensive interpersonal communication with their children as a means of fulfilling the affection needs that were unmet during their early life.