O papel do pai na sociedade contemporânea: concepções de pais, funcionários de uma Empresa Estatal da Bahia

Abstract

As a result of many social changes like the increasing number of divorce, women’s joining into the labor’s market, the father’s role is changing very fast and, as a result, the increasing number of research is visible too. As fatherhood is a concept in a deep changing process, this dissertation aims to understand Bahia’s father’s role in contemporary society from the point of view of father’s of different socio-economical contexts. To reach this objective, a case study was realized and 30 fathers were interviewed, and who worked in a big company in Ba-hia/Brazil, they were divided into two groups that earned lower and higher salaries. A ques-tioner was elaborated based in Lamb (2004) and Palkovitz (1997) concepts about fatherhood. Psicodrama, Sociodrama and Relational Theory conducted the study once; they explain that individual and social construction is based in personal and social roles that allow the emer-gence of social capital. As a result, It was noted that father of lower socio-economic income the father’s role is to teach, to be available and affectionate to the child. Therefore, for the higher income group, “father” is the person that teaches, is available and share activities with the child. Both interviewed groups affirmed that principal factor that makes them closer to the child is to share activities. Lower salary fathers affirmed that “work” is the factor that difficult them to be closer to their child and that, the second factor is “divorce” once, higher income fathers affirmed that “work” is the principal factor that makes them more distant from their child, and in sequence, the little amount of time. It was noted that regard to “responsibility” and “availability” factors, fathers of higher income were more involved than lower income. It was noted too, that lower income fathers were more involved than higher income salary in activities related to affection (smile to the child), meanwhile, the inverse occurs to activities related with cognition (like to teach). As greater majority of respondents affirmed that institutions and government does not give support for them performing fatherhood, it was noticed that is necessary more involvement of public and institutional policies makers to include fatherhood in the context of schools, health, and the caring of children and families. It was observed that changes are is necessary not only in institutional and public policies, but even in research policies too once, fatherhood’s investigations are insufficient and when they exist, in majority, show a conformist point of view about fatherhood reality. These data conducted a conclusion that fatherhood is contingent on context in regards to the complexity of socioeconomic, cultural, and historical aspects and family’s characteristics. Essentially, it is important not only to children development but, also for men themselves, and for society, as, after becoming father, they grow in responsibility and maturity, and in this way can help promoting gender equality, detachment from poverty, crime and constructing a society as a better place to live.