Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia
Abstract
The present research sought to explore the lived experience of fatherhood guided by a social constructionist perspective and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework (1977, 1989), by collaborating with seven Western Australian fathers on a series of multiple case conversational interviews. To ensure that the data generated from the interviews was manageable and the aims and objectives of research could be effectively facilitated by the researcher, only those fathers belonging to specific cohort, that is, fathers in an intact heterosexual, defacto or marital relationship, were sampled. The interviews were transcribed and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the data. The multiple case conversational interview methodology, coupled with the use of critical participants and a running diary to allow reflection on the procedure and analysis, ensured that the research process and outcomes were auditable and rigours. The fathers identified two core discourses, which influenced their meaning making, the traditional and new father world views
