“In the eyes of a child, a father is everything”: Changing constructions of fatherhood in urban Botswana?

SynopsisResearch on fathers and fatherhood remains scarce, especially in the Global South. Furthermore, existing work tends to label men as ‘irresponsible fathers’. As such, the spatial and temporal differences that exist in the practices and experiences of fatherhood have been somewhat eclipsed. This article seeks to contribute to emerging research on fathers and fatherhood within the specific context of urban Botswana. Drawing upon focus group discussions held with diverse groups of men, it explores men's experiences of both being sons and then fathers. In so doing, it considers the extent to which fatherhood is being reconstructed.