Pre and Post-divorce Experience of Men Who have Taken Child Custody in Addis Ababa
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Date
2015-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to understand how divorced men perceive and explain their
pre and post-divorce family life experiences. The methodology followed is qualitative research
Pre and Post Divorce Experiences of Men………
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with specific method of phenomenology that helped the researcher to understand the lived
experience of research participants. The participants have been purposively selected from the
concluded divorce cases at Lideta Supreme Court. Data has been gathered through face-to-face
in-depth interview and analyzed by applying a rigorous data analysis procedure. The findings
revealed that, the divorced men have experienced social, economic, emotional, and
psychological problems. After the divorce, adjustment to the new status, raising children, social
participation, assuming new role in the family have been found to be among the major
challenging experience of participants. Men had no easy life after divorce and that has to be the
focus of research and program intervention. The coping mechanisms used included personal
determination to work hard and overcome the problems, religion and hope about the future,
mobilizing support from the environment, optimism about making things better for the children,
and the belief and commitment that they can raise the children alone. Based on the findings, it
has been able to forward recommendations that professional social work practice is needed at
micro and mezzo levels apart from establishing a policy direction at macro level that guides
social work practice down the road. Family stability and reduction of divorce could be promoted
by wider community awareness and family education programs at the three levels of social work
intervention. Further research with a wider scope and coverage should also be conducted on this
area in order to have a better understanding about the issue and help families avoid divorce or to
help families cope with the impact of divorce and see a better society
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Keywords
Social Work