Are Mothers Really “Gatekeepers” of Children?

Abstract

Guided by symbolic interactionism, this qualitative study based on interviews with 83 rural mothers investigated mothers' perceptions of nonresident fathers' involvement in low-income families. Contrary to some fathers' claims that mothers “gatekeep” their access to children, the majority of mothers in our study wanted increased father involvement. The mothers' desire for active father–child interaction was not dampened by their frustration at the lack or irregularity of child support payment, which mothers tended to accept, given the lack of economic opportunities in rural communities. Despite their wishes to promote father–child contact, mothers also experienced frustration and distrust toward former partners when they perceived that the fathers were not fulfilling their expected parental roles. This study demonstrates that mothers' actions, which may be interpreted as gatekeeping by the fathers, are often not intended to discourage father involvement but rather are meant to negotiate more acceptable father behavior.