Women's Emotion Work in the Family

Abstract

This qualitative study uses family observations and semi-structured interviews with 23 women to explore the relationship management work of building and maintaining father-child relationships. Five women indicated they did not engage in any efforts to enhance father-child relationships; 18 women reported doing some type of father-child relationship management work, although the extent of such efforts appeared to vary among these women. Several strategies to facilitate positive father-child involvement were identified: offering suggestions for joint father-child activities, relaying information about positive feelings, praising fathers for their involvement with children, organizing the family schedule/environment, and creating or maintaining positive images of fathers. When fathers and children were perceived to be unhappy with one another, various peace-keeping strategies designed to mediate angry/hurtful feelings were noted: anticipating and preventing unhappy feelings, separating fathers and children during disputes, and gathering and relaying information to encourage reconciliation.