Fathers of Daughters: A Narrative Inquiry Into Their Experiences of Migration and Settlement

Abstract

The process of migration produces transitions and disruptions in the dynamics of family life including changes in roles and relationships. In general, there is very little research on father/daughter relationships from the perspective of the father. I sought to understand the research puzzle: How do newcomer fathers story and re-story their relationships with their adolescent daughters during the processes of migration and settlement? I collaborated with three newcomer fathers using conversation and dialogue to develop a storied view of their experiences. The focus of the study is on the fathers’ experiences with their daughters prior to and after settlement in Canada. Narrative Inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) was the methodology that guided the research. The inquiry followed a recursive, reflexive process within the conceptual framework of the commonplaces of temporality, sociality and place. Conversations with the participants took place over a timespan of a year and a half. The fathers shared their stories of being the father of a daughter transitioning through adolescence and to Canada. In keeping with the relational ontology of narrative inquiry I shared memories of my immigration experiences and of my memories of my father. From the narrative accounts of the fathers, from the experiences they shared, I pulled narrative threads that reverberated across their stories. Four common threads emerged: 1) liminality, 2) the resonance of mothers, 3) fatherhood as an intimate relationship, and 4) information and communication technologies (ICTs). The fathers’ stories highlight the need to focus on making space for voices that are rarely heard in research and nursing. The relational process of narrative inquiry which focuses on the discovery of insight and understanding can influence nursing which is also a reflective, negotiated practice.