(In)visible fathers in social work with the child and family

Abstract

This text explores the issues of (in)visibility of fathers in the process of helping and supporting the family, little recognized in the Polish reality of social work with children and families. Despite the ongoing discourse about the engaged fatherhood, fathers in social work are still seen from the perspective of absence, danger and exclusion. They are much less involved in the family support process than mothers. The reason why so few men are actively involved in these activities is not only because of their physical absence in their families, but also because of the difficulty in involving them in the interventions experienced by social workers. There are few studies on this issue in the Polish literature. More data on the reasons for the situation is provided by research conducted by scientists from other countries - they show the reasons why cooperation with men is difficult. These studies are the subject of the analysis of the presented considerations. The analysis was carried out taking into account three perspectives: social workers, fathers and mothers. The whole inquiry is complemented by reflections on the change in the organization of the helping process so that fathers become visible subjects in social work with the family.