South Africa has a complex range of historical, social, political, and economic factors that have shaped fatherhood. In the context of the Bukhali randomised controlled trial with young women in Soweto, South Africa, a qualitative study was conducted with the male partners of young women who had become pregnant during the trial. This exploratory study aimed to explore individual perceptions around relationship dynamics, their partner’s pregnancy, and fatherhood of partners of young women in Soweto, South Africa. Individual, in-depth interviews were conducted with male partners (fathers, n = 19, 25–46 years old) of Bukhali participants. A thematic approach was taken to the descriptive and exploratory process of analysis, and three final themes and subthemes were identified: (1) relationship dynamics (nature of relationship, relationship challenges); (2) pregnancy (feelings about the pregnancy, effect of the pregnancy on their relationship, providing support during pregnancy; and 3) fatherhood (view of fatherhood, roles of fathers, influences on views and motivation, challenges of fatherhood). While most male participants were in a committed (“serious”) relationship with their female partner, less than half of them were cohabiting. Most reported that their partner’s pregnancy was not planned, and shared mixed feelings about the pregnancy (e.g., happy, excited, shocked, nervous), although their views about fatherhood were overwhelmingly positive. Many were concerned about how they would economically provide for their child and partner, particularly those who were unemployed. Participants identified both general and specific ways in which they provided support for their partner, e.g., being present, co-attending antenatal check-ups, providing material resources. For many, the most challenging aspect of fatherhood was having to provide financially. They seemed to understand the level of responsibility expected of them as a father, and that their involvement and presence related to love for and connection with their child. Participants’ responses indicated that there were some changes in the norms around fatherhood, suggesting that there is a possibility for a shift in the fatherhood narrative in their context. These findings suggest that the complex array of factors influencing fatherhood in South Africa continue to play out in this generation, although promising changes are evident.

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Bukhali 试验中的关系动态、怀孕和父亲身份：对南非索韦托男性的定性研究

南非有一系列复杂的历史、社会、政治和经济因素塑造了父亲的形象。在南非索韦托对年轻女性进行的 Bukhali 随机对照试验中，对试验期间怀孕的年轻女性的男性伴侣进行了一项定性研究。这项探索性研究旨在探讨南非索韦托年轻女性对关系动态、伴侣怀孕和伴侣父亲身份的个人看法。对 Bukhali 参与者的男性伴侣（父亲，n = 19，25-46 岁）进行了单独的深入访谈。采用主题方法进行描述性和探索性分析过程，并确定了三个最终主题和副主题：（1）关系动态（关系的本质、关系挑战）；(2) 怀孕（对怀孕的感受、怀孕对他们关系的影响、怀孕期间提供的支持；3）父亲身份（父亲身份的看法、父亲的角色、对观点和动机的影响、父亲身份的挑战）。虽然大多数男性参与者与女性伴侣保持着忠诚（“认真”）的关系，但只有不到一半的人同居。大多数人报告说，他们的伴侣的怀孕是没有计划的，并且对怀孕有着复杂的感觉（例如，快乐、兴奋、震惊、紧张），尽管他们对父亲身份的看法绝大多数是积极的。许多人担心他们将如何在经济上养活自己的孩子和伴侣，特别是那些失业的人。参与者确定了他们为伴侣提供支持的一般和具体方式，例如在场、共同参加产前检查、提供物质资源。对于许多人来说，父亲身份最具挑战性的方面是必须提供经济援助。他们似乎了解作为父亲所期望的责任程度，并且他们的参与和存在与对孩子的爱和联系有关。参与者的反应表明，有关父亲身份的规范发生了一些变化，这表明在他们的背景下，父亲身份的叙述有可能发生转变。这些发现表明，影响南非父亲身份的一系列复杂因素在这一代人中继续发挥作用，尽管有希望的变化是显而易见的。