“The Liminal Father”: A qualitative study exploring men's experiences of paternal imprisonment
Senan Tuohy‐Hamill, John O'Connor, Paul MurphyAbstract
Objective
This study explored the lived experience of growing up with an imprisoned father, from the adult sons' perspectives.
Background
Previous research has shown that paternal imprisonment has a significant impact on the emotional well‐being of the sons left behind. However, there is little research examining the long‐term implications of this experience, from the adult son's perspective.
Method
Six participants took part in this qualitative research, ranging from 30 to 66 years of age, involving three approximately 1‐hour interviews per participant, informed by psychoanalytic principles. The data collected and analyzed included verbal content, emotional responses, and nonverbal communication, all considered in relation to the context of the interviewer–interviewee relational encounter.
Results
Four themes were identified: “The Liminal Father: The Painful Absence and Psychological Presence”; “Guarding the Interior: Navigating Emotional Pain and Distancing Strategies”; “Pushed to the Edges: Confronting Carceral Stigma and Processing Social Rejection”; and “Powering Through: Losing Innocence and Creating Meaning.” Participants described the ripple‐, wave‐, even tsunami‐like effects of their father's imprisonment. This included the way that participants experienced their father as a liminal presence during and after imprisonment, their use of self‐protective or defensive psychological processes, and how they incorporated this experience into their developing senses of self or identities.
Conclusion
Paternal imprisonment can be experienced as a type of loss that powerfully colors the emotional lives and trajectory of sons as they grow into adulthood.
Implications
Prison visitation should be more facilitative of the father–son bond, such as by increasing opportunities for connection outside of the visiting room.