Reflective fathers : How intercultural participants evaluate their personal experience after a 7-week long peer support group program?

Abstract

The current paper evaluates 6 intercultural fathers´ experience after a 7 week long peer support group program. The activities built on a strong structural base which gave opportunity for the participant to reflect on their male-parenting from an emotional and need-focused perspectives. As the intersecting field of intercultural fatherhood, peer support group and emotional awareness programs are rarely researched in the Finnish context. Therefore, this study could shed a light on the importance of peer support group activities targeting intercultural fathers, and serve an analysis on how self-awareness, non-violent communication and need recognition could promote the individual’s self-improvement and well-being.

The emerging themes discussed in the paper were based on a 50 minutes long focus group discussion and its thematic analysis. The results suggest that all the 6 participants recognised positive changes in their personal life that could be linked to the peer support group activities. As the number of intercultural fathers are growing in Finland, it is necessary to assess their needs and tailor services and support programs that serves them the best.