Work and Lifestyle: Social Representations among Young Fathers

• Published in: The British journal of social work 2010-12, Vol.40 (8), p.2652-2668
• Main Authors: Negura, Lilian, Deslauriers, Jean-Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Childbirth; Children; Discourse; Engagement; Fatherhood; Fathers; Identity; Life styles; Lifestyle; Lifestyles; Longitudinal studies; Men; Mothers; Prosocial behaviour; Psychosocial Factors; Social Dynamics; Social identity; Social Integration; Social representation; Social representations; Social work; work; Working parents; Young adults; Young fathers
• ISSN: 0045-3102; 1468-263X
• DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcp151

The situation of young fathers has been systematically associated in the literature with poverty, school drop-out and paternal disinvolvement. Very few studies on this phenomenon have sought to analyse the psycho-social mechanisms behind the engagement of young fathers in a social integration process. Thus, a quantitative and qualitative longitudinal study was conducted on a non-probability sample of thirty young fathers in the Gatineau area (Canada) in order to study this issue. More specifically, the social representations of work and lifestyle were examined based on the discourse of the young fathers. It was observed that these social representations contributed to the creation of a new identity as a father and that these psycho-social dynamics had an impact on the social integration of the young fathers. Our study highlights two striking developments in the discourse of these adolescents and young adults who, through their desire to enter the labour market and their intention to adopt pro-social behaviour and improve their lifestyle, indicated their engagement—at times shaky, at times firm—in a dynamic of social integration.