Can participation in a father-child activity group help develop fathers’ self-confidence?
At the Fatherhood Institute we are always happy to draw attention to good research – and never more so than when it is carried out by a practitioner. Jim Cooper is one such. A Community Learning & Development Worker with Dumfries & Galloway Council in South West Scotland, he works in a rurally-isolated area “twenty-five miles from anywhere” where over 20% of local residents of working age are ‘employment deprived’ compared to the national average of 11.6%
Jim observed that several of the dads who participated in his project seemed to grow in confidence and develop personal capacity, showing greater willingness to help plan and organise group activities, join other community groups and take up adult learning opportunities. Jim’s aim, in his research, was to explore whether participation in the group had played a part in this.
Click here to read Jim’s research summary (‘Abstract’) LooseChangeAbstract
Click here to read his full report LooseChangeEditedFindings
Jim has worked with the project since its beginnings in 2005. He can be contacted at jim.cooper@dumgal.gov.uk
Tags: APPG on fatherhood, capacity building, Early years, fatherhood, Fatherhood research, Self-efficacy, social capital, social cohesion
