Publication Date

2010

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Fathers and daughters, Children of divorced parents-Psychology, Divorce-Psychological aspects, Absentee fathers, Paternal deprivation-Psychological aspects, Father-daughter cut off, Father absence, Father loss, Divorce, Father-daughter relationship

Abstract

This study was undertaken to better understand the dynamics occurring in the father-daughter relationship and consequently the effects on daughters when there is a cut-off between this dyad post-divorce. Much of the current research and literature available on the topics of father loss and divorce have been on father-child cut-off without a specific focus on the father-daughter relationship. Therefore, this study was designed to specifically focus on the effects of cut-off experienced by daughters. An in-depth qualitative interview was conducted with twelve adult daughters who identified having experienced a cut-off from their father post their parents divorce. These interviews contained 16 open-ended questions that asked the daughters to reflect on three major themes: (1) Their experience of the cut-off, (2) Their feelings about their fathers and (3) The perceived effects of the cut-off on their lives. The major findings of the study provided information around the daughters understanding of the cut-off including the reasons, types, effects and the feelings they experienced. An additional finding that appeared in the study revealed what a daughter would need/want to reunite with her father. Although some of the information and stories shared in the findings did highlight the differences in the participants stories, much of the findings gathered, in conjunction with past research reviewed, further proves that there are overarching commonalities experienced by daughters who have been cutoff from their father post divorce.

Language

English

Comments

iii, 73 p. Thesis (M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2010. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64)

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