Performing fatherhood in Bangladesh: Changing roles, responsibilities and involvement of older and younger fathers

Abstract

Fatherhood is an important component to ascertain men’s virility all over the world. It is a complex, ongoing socio-cultural construction that different men experience in their own ways in diverse familial and socio- cultural setting. This article tries to initiate a discussion on how fatherhood is enacted across two generations of fathers and also tries to encapsulate their diverse fathering roles and responsibilities. The article is based on a qualitative study among 20 fathers from two different age groups who are currently residing in Dhaka. It is found that the fathers from young generation perform fatherhood differently than fathers from older generation because of their changed socio-economic context. Most fathers from older generations traced providing for children’s education, health and other needs as the main responsibility of any father. Younger fathers perform fatherhood more on the basis of emotion rather than obligations. New fathers add in the contemporary culture of fatherhood is an aspect of compassion, emotionality and engagement which focus more on how they feel doing certain fathering roles rather what they really do. The article ends with an opinion that performance associated to fatherhood in urban Dhaka is changing. Though these changes are very small in number and slow in progression but embrace positive spirit of fatherhood.

Keywords

• Fatherhood
• fathering roles and responsibilities
• emotion
• change

Bangladeş’te Babalık İcrası: Değişen Roller, Sorumluluklar ve İki Kuşak Babaların Katılımı

Abstract

Babalık, tüm dünyada erkeklerin erkekliğini anlamak için önemli bir etkendir. Farklı erkeklerin çeşitli ailevi ve sosyokültürel ortamlarda kendi yollarıyla deneyimledikleri karmaşık ve devam eden sosyokültürel bir konumdur. Bu makale, iki kuşak babalar üzerinden babalığın nasıl icra edildiğine dair bir tartışmaya ön ayak olmaya ve çeşitli babalık rollerini ve sorumluluklarını ortaya sermeye çalışmaktadır. Makale, Dakka'da ikamet eden iki farklı yaş grubundan 20 babayı içeren nitel bir çalışmaya dayanmaktadır. Çalışmada genç kuşaktan babaların değişen sosyoekonomik durumları nedeniyle babalıklarını eski kuşaktan babalara göre farklı icra ettikleri tespit edilmiştir. Yaşlı kuşaklardan babaların çoğu, çocukların eğitim, sağlık ve diğer ihtiyaçlarını sağlamayı bütün babaların temel sorumluluğu olarak görmektedir. Genç nesil babalar ise babalıklarını yükümlülüklerden çok duygu temelinde icra etmektedir. Yeni babaların modern babalık kültürüne kattıkları şey, belli babalık rollerini gerçekleştirirken ne yaptıklarına değil daha çok ne hissettiklerine odaklanan şefkat, duygusallık ve bağlılık boyutudur. Makale, Dakka kentinde babalık performansının değiştiği görüşüyle son bulmaktadır. Bu değişiklikler sayıca çok küçük ve ilerlemede yavaş olsa da, olumlu babalık ruhuna kucak açmaktadır.

Keywords

• Babalık
• Babalık Rolleri ve Sorumlulukları
• Duygu
• Değişim

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