Contested Fathering
Cameroonian Fathers Facing Parenthood in the Finnish Welfare State
Nyckelord:
Black African Fathers in the North, discourses of decent parenthood, fathering experiencesAbstract
This article focuses on the parenthood experiences of Cameroonian fathers living in Finland. In the analysis, Finland represents a Nordic welfare society in which family relationships are guided by and reflected against national family policies and discourses. The policies are based on ideas of the “proper Finnish family” and the individualistic waves of female liberation, with an emphasis on children’s rights. We ask, how the fathers characterize and frame their fathering in relation to the mainstream socio-political, cultural, and national representations and discourses of fatherhood in Finland, which we suggest differ from the Cameroonian ones. The findings are presented as a case analysis of inter- views collected among Cameroonian fathers living in Finland with their African spouses. In spite of the diverse family patterns and conditions of the Finnish people, overall the mainstream cultural and national family representation is characterized by equality between parents and between parents and their children. Moreover, the concept of a “good fatherhood” is seen as embodied presence and warm relationships with children. The fathers of our study face difficulties fulfilling these discursive demands, as they cope with another important fatherhood duty – breadwinning, which is particularly challenging because of their often marginalized positions in the labour market. When comparing their fatherhood position in Finland with the one in Cameroon, they also feel embarrassed, especially because the Finnish educational system teaches and encourages their children to challenge their parental authority, which in Cameroon would not be possible.
