| 1. |
- Eriksson, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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His helping hands-adult daughter's perceptions' of fathers with caregiving responsibility
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Social Work. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1369-1457 .- 1468-2664. ; 16:2, s. 235-248
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Women's position as informal carers has been taken for granted in social policy and social professions, while relatively few discussions have elaborated on caring as a later life activity for men and the impact on family care. This study explores the processes connected to informal caregiving in later life through the position of adult daughters of older fathers engaged with long-term caregiving responsibilities for a partner. A sample of eight daughters, with fathers having primary caregiving responsibility for their ill partners was recruited and in-depth interviews were carried out and analysed according to qualitative procedures. The daughters' descriptions of their relationships with their fathers show that being an older man who engages in caring can have a positive outcome on relations. Even if some of the daughters have doubts about their fathers “masculine authenticity”, all of them appear to cherish “his helping hands” as a carer and closer more intimate relationships with their fathers. Caring for an old and frail spouse may potentially present alternative ways of being a man beyond traditional ‘male activities’ and that caring might also sometimes involve a re-construction of gender identities. It is suggested that social work professionals may use a gendered understanding to assess and work strategically with daughters and other family members who support caring fathers.
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| 2. |
- Sandberg, Jonas, 1971-, et al.
(author)
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Keeping the family balance : adult daughters' experiences of roles and strategies when supporting caring fathers
- 2009
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In: European Journal of Social Work. - : Taylor and Francis. - 1369-1457 .- 1468-2664. ; 12:2, s. 233-245
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Scandinavian countries represent a progressive approach to gender equality and transitions of traditional gender roles but little attention has been paid to gender equality in old age and how normative constructions of gender intersect in the lives of family carers. The aim of this study was to understand how adult daughters experience their roles and strategies when supporting fathers caring for an ill mother. A sample of eight daughters shared their experiences through in-depth interviews. The findings show that the daughters provide substantial and crucial effort and are intimately involved in the caring for their father and the sole contributors towards the emotional support of their fathers. They tend to devote a lot of energy towards picturing their family as 'normal' in terms of the family members adopting traditional roles and activities inside as well as outside the family context. In conclusion, the lack of understanding about gender as a 'norm producer' is something that needs to be further elaborated upon in order for professionals to encounter norm-breaking behaviours. The daughters' position as family carers is often assumed and taken for granted since the intersecting structures that impact on the situations of the daughters are largely invisible.
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| 3. |
- Sandberg, Jonas, et al.
(author)
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"It feels like a defoliation" : older men´s notions of informal support as primary caregivers
- 2008
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In: Norma : Nordic journal for masculinity studies. - 1890-2138. ; 3:1, s. 48-61
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Little interest has been given to painting a broader picture of men’s relation to caring and care giving activities and when it has, it has often tended to uphold stereotypic notions regarding men’s attitudes to caring activities. This article explores older men’s account of becoming and being primary caregivers as a result of unexpected life events. By interviewing eleven older men in three focus group sessions questions about masculinity and the cultural understanding about being older men in relation to caregiving and support was approached. In our result we describe the caregiving men’s social and personal changes as a consequences of caregiving as a defoliation process where the difficulty in upholding relationships with unconventional men and the caregiving men’s difficulty in upholding relations with people, who embrace hegemonic ideals about masculinity, is framing their lives as caregiving men. From this position caregiving men reach out and connect with other men who share the same experiences. We suggest that in the network of men who are, and is about to become, primary caregivers, the principle of “paying it forward” seems to be understood as the most valued support. Paying it forward help the men to uphold their caring experience as valuable and gives the men a position as skilled.
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