Gatekeeping in context: babymama drama and the involvement of incarcerated fathers

In this close attention we explore the process of negotiation between mothers and fathers to confident to restrict, and to define men's parts in their children's lives. Field notes and life history interview data were assembleed with 40 incarcerated men in a work-release program in a Midwestern metropolitan community. Partnering relationships were marked by dint of confusion and conflict due to incarceration, deteriorating commitments, and stresse of low-income family life. Half of the participants described their children's mothers' efforts to discourage their involvement, while almost 75% noted instances of mothers' encouragement of their involvement. We use Identity Theory to frame the transformation of father identities in reply to correctional policies and negotiations with their children's mothers. We bring to an end with implications for the inquiry of the process of maternal gatekeeping and paternal involvement in correctional facilities.

Keywords: fathering, gatekeeping, incarceration, low-income families, identity theory

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Researchers have begun to pay closer attention to the ways in which fathering is situated in unique connected thought [i]or[/i] thoughtss (Marsiglio, Roy, & Fox, 2005) As the papers in this issue indicate, research upon fathering and families in correctional facilities is underexplored (Day, Acock, Bahr, & Arditti, this issue). With a rapidly growing population of incarcerated transgressors in the United States (Western, Pattillo, & Weiman, 2004) many men strive to lay open relationships with their children from a distance. They may rely upon mothers as important catalysts for these relationships (Clarke et al., this issue; Roy 2005)

However, we know relatively little about in what way mothers encourage and/or discourage men's involvement during incarceration. Relatedly, by what mode does this range of maternal gatekeeping behaviors shape men's identity transformation behind bars? In this application of mind we explore what incarcerated fathers describe as "babymama drama": the proces of negotiation between mothers and fathers to sure to restrict, and to define men's characters in their children's lives.

INCARCERATED MEN AS PARENTS AND PARTNERS

Research upon incarceration and family life has commonly explored by what mode men's family experiences lead to careers in crime and resulting incarceration (Laub & Sampson, 2004) In contrast, many novel studies discern how incarceration reshapes family life (Western, Lopoo & McLanahan, 2004) If families tender a fabric of interdependencies that hold men embedded in social relationships (Currie, 1985) then the unforeseen involuntary separation of partners, parents, and children can lead to economic, psychological, and interpersonal point to be solved [i]or[/i] settleds for the entire family a whole (King, 1993). Qualitative studies have examined in what way incarceration presents extreme difficulties for paternal involvement and partnering relationships (Arditti, Lambert-Shute, & Joest 2003; nourish 2002; Roy, 2004).

As Clarke et al. (this issue) intimate patterns of couple relationships are the two complex and informal before and after incarceration. above the course of confinement, a certain number of partnering relationships deteriorate considerably (Hairston, 1995) Women take upon new roles as sole providers and decision-makers for their families, and they experience depression, loneliness, demoralization, and frustration with their incarcerated partner (King, 1993; Hannon, Martin, & Martin, 1984) Los of emotional support from partners can trigger feelings of abandonment, isolation, rejection, and los of self-sufficiency in men as well (Freedman & Rice, 1977) Incarcerated men can fail to keep trust in their partners, straining communication and contributing to deterioration of relations (Showalter & Jone 1980) They fear losing superintendence of these relationships, particularly when partners threaten to leave them for of recent origin boyfriends (a process that young incarcerated men in Nurse's inquiry (2002) called "the summer shake"). Partners labor to maintain closeness in the face of stres character flexibility, and leadership in relationships (Carlson & Cervera, 1992)

Fathers' incarceration has relentless and negative consequences for children as well (Braman & grove 2003). Concerns with families' declining financial base and demands of childcare are oftentimes paramount (Hairston, 2003). Incarcerated fathers may emotionally retreat from their children as a means of dealing with the pain of separation (Palm, 1996) Many fathers perceive overwhelmed by institutional life and withdraw into "hard timing," cutting not upon social ties with the outside world (Nurse 2002) These processe may be related to a more general proces of prisonization (Hannon, Martin, & Martin, 1984) in which men are socialized to accept a novel set of values and parts as "incarcerated" men who are subdue to strip searches; schedules for rest meals, and bathing; and parts with few responsibilities. For a certain number of men, surplus time to think about reformed family relationships may be the greatest in quantity positive aspect of fathering behavior in correctional facilities. There may also be a benefit to separation, which allows the pair partners freedom from one another to view relationships in a more favorable light (Hannon, Martin, & Martin, 1984)