Fader Vår
om fäder med intellektuella funktionsnedsättningar
Fathers with learning difficuliesFatherhoodNarrativesParenting with learning difficuliesFäder med intellektuell funktionsnedsättningFaderskapNarrativesFöräldraskap
Most studies on parenthood and learning difficulties focus on mother and child, and very little is know about fathers with learning difficulties. Moreover, people with learning difficulties are rarely asked to tell their own narratives. The aim of the current study is to identify the role of the father in families where one or both of the parents have learning difficulties. Laws and regulations concerning the rights of people with learning difficulties in Sweden are accounted for and the he social support system for all parents in Sweden are described .The empirical study is a qualitative phenomenological interview study, inspired by narrative traditions, and describes how fathers with learning difficulties experience these support systems. The main data are two life stories of fathers with learning difficulties and one observation in a family.The findings suggest that although Sweden has a highly regarded disability policy and social support system, and even though fathers with learning difficulties are assured equal rights as members of the society and as parents by the Act of Human Rights, they are not treated equal but still faces structural inequalities. Their strengths and needs are not recognized, gender based support is not used and last but not least there is a lack of adequate competence in the support system. As long as the fathers are not included in the discussions about strengths and weaknesses in families with at least one parent with learning difficulties, these families are not given reasonable chances of fulfilling their parenthoods.