Reconstructing Fatherhood Under Constraint: Identity Work Among Nonresident Fathers

ABSTRACT Objective To examine how nonresident fathers negotiate, sustain, and reconstruct paternal identity under the structural and relational constraints of nonresident fatherhood. Background Nonresident fatherhood is increasingly recognized as a dynamic and evolving experience shaped by structural and relational constraints. However, limited research has explored the identity work through which nonresident fathers sustain paternal identity while maintaining meaningful relationships and involvement with their children over time. Methods Drawing on in‐depth interviews with 25 nonresident fathers, this interpretive qualitative study examined how fathers negotiated and reconstructed paternal identity under structural and relational constraints. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results The analysis identified three interrelated themes: (1) Ideals of Fatherhood as a Framework for Sustaining Paternal Identity, (2) The Destabilization of Paternal Identity, and (3) Recalibrating Fatherhood Under Constraint. The findings suggest that nonresident fatherhood involves ongoing processes of identity work through which fathers reinterpret and reconstruct paternal identity in response to changing relational and structural conditions. Conclusion The study demonstrates that paternal identity is continuously reconstructed through ongoing interpretive and relational processes under the conditions of nonresident fatherhood. Implications Conceptualizing paternal identity as an evolving process provides a more nuanced understanding of how nonresident fathers sustain continuity, connection, and paternal legitimacy while striving to remain meaningfully involved in their children's lives. The study highlights the importance of recognizing the evolving nature of paternal identity in research and interventions involving nonresident fathers.