‘Virtuoso ideal daddy’: Finnish children's perceptions of good fatherhood

Abstract

Changes in family structures, such as the increase in the number of cohabiting couples, divorces, and blended families pose new challenges for fatherhood and research on fatherhood has been mainly adult-centred. This research studied how Finnish children perceive good fatherhood and what expectations they set for fathers. The following research questions were set for the study: (1) How do Finnish children describe a good father? and (2) How do Finnish girls' and boys' perceptions of a good father differ from each other? The participants of this study comprised pupils (n = 39; 21 girls and 18 boys aged 10–12 years) from 3 to 6 grades at a typical northern Finland school. This was a narrative study in which pupils' narratives of a good father were used as the data. The pupils' narratives of a good fatherhood could be categorised into seven main types which are introduced as findings of the study. Also a metanarrative of a good father was composed based on the children's narratives. In conclusion, a good father's virtues as the basis on a good father–child relationship are discussed.

Keywords:

• fatherhood
• children's perceptions
• fathers
• strengths
• virtues
• parenting

Notes on contributors

Riika Hietanen, MA, graduated from the University of Lapland, Finland, and currently works as a kindergarten teacher. Her research interests are focused in educational psychology, parenthood, social relationships, and special education.

Kaarina Määttä, PhD, is the professor of educational psychology at the Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, and deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Lapland. Her latest personal research interests have focused on love, attachment, and social relationships during human beings’ life span; early education; guidance on and processes of doctoral theses; and on positive psychology and human strengths. Her latest book Early education and care in Finland (K. Määttä & S. Uusiautti, ed.) was published by Routledge in 2012.

Satu Uusiautti, PhD, is a specialist at the Faculty of Education, University of Lapland. Her personal research interests are in qualitative methods, positive psychology, and happiness, success, and well-being at work and in life overall.