FATHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE PREPARATION OF SONS FOR FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

Being an effective father requires a close relationship with sons, which leads to fostering trust, open communication, mutual support, respect and shared values. This paper sought to gain an insight into fathers’ perspectives on the preparation of sons for family responsibilities in South-Western Uganda. A qualitative research method supported by phenomenological, explorative, descriptive and contextual designs was adopted. Purposive sampling facilitated the identification of twenty Bakiga fathers, who were interviewed through semi-structured interviews in Kabale, South-Western Uganda. The ecological system theory was employed to understand how various systems such as family, school, community and work in the father-son environment influence their functioning. The study found that fathers play a pivotal role in preparing sons holistically for family responsibilities across various dimensions such as emotional, mental, spiritual, social, economic and academic aspects. This preparation involves cultivating deep friendships, providing formal and informal education, promoting good money management, offering emotional support, emphasising spiritual values and passing on culturally relevant customs. Given the unique needs of fathers and sons, social workers should collaborate with stakeholders to provide tailored interventions that promote self-reliance and strong father-son bonds, ultimately improving their social functioning. Keywords: ecological systems theory, family responsibilities, father, social workers, son