Father and Son Mentoring for the Perpetuation of Legacy: Developing a Grounded Theory.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to expand upon our present knowledge of mentoring between fathers and emerging-adult sons. Specifically, this study sought to identify strategies, procedures and skills involved with this type of mentoring, as well as barriers and benefits associated with these relationships with the goal of developing a grounded theory of father/son mentoring. Using an embedded mixed method research design, I interviewed six father-son dyads from Hawaiʻi, the continental US and Europe, augmented with scores from two scales. Grounded theory guided data collection and analysis. Scores from the two scales were treated as descriptive during the cross-case-analysis. Highly effective father/son mentoring was characterized by a multifaceted approach to mentoring that included the development and use of multiple strategies, skills and procedures. Less effective examples tended to be overly reliant upon singular approaches to mentoring interactions. While highly effective dyads were able to identify and discuss barriers, less effective dyads struggled to identify ways they could improve their relationships. As a goaldirected activity, father/son mentoring was often focused on the perpetuation of legacy. These findings were further demonstrated through the development of a grounded theory with an associated metaphor of weaving a basket. One unexpected discovery related to fathers mentoring their sons who were on the autism spectrum. This study sheds light on the relatively unstudied phenomenon of father-son mentoring and lays a foundation for future inquiry which might include larger sample sizes and other types of research design.