The mission of the Fatherhood Movement is to reestablish the relationships between fathers and their children that are necessary for a strong society. This book examines the reasons why contemporary fathers are not involved in family life from the historical, social, economic, and spiritual perspectives. Written by experts from a wide range of disciplines, the chapters recommend actions that can be taken by individuals, organizations, and government agencies to engage fathers and support their families. Topics include the development of the Fatherhood Movement, the importance of fathers, the…
Designed for parents, youth workers, and teachers, this book explores the complex interplay between the cultural forces that are molding and shaping the values, attitudes, and behaviors of youth. Section 1 discusses the characteristics of adolescents, how the Bible can help parents raising their children, and societal trends impacting adolescents. Section 2 describes how the media and music impact teens. Chapters explain how music molds adolescents, what the media is teaching teens, and how parents can lead their children through the maze of music and the media. The types of pressures…
Concerns about the increase in fatherless families and the negative effects on children led to calls for social change from politicians, several national commissions, and a variety of articles and books. By the end of the 1990s, there were indications that a fatherhood movement was being formed as conferences were sponsored by organizations at the national, state, and local levels. This chapter evaluates whether recent actions to promote fatherhood represent a social movement, in terms of the identification of a core idea, the broad appeal of the issue, the distinction of the movement from…
1. Getting to Know Today's Adult Child. 2. When Your Adult Child is Not Succeeding. 3. When the Nest Isn't Emptying. 4. When Your Adult Child Moves Home. 5. Major Hurdles to Independence. 6. Conflicts Over Lifestyle Issues. 7. Becoming an In-law and a Grandparent. 8. Meeting Your Own Needs. 9. Developing a Confident, Growing Relationship. 10. Leaving Your Child a Positive Legacy. Study Guide.
This study examined the characteristics of caseworkers that affect their work with the birth fathers of children in kinship care. Fifty-four caseworkers were interviewed about case assessment procedures, permanency planning activities, service provision, frequency and content of contacts with the child and family, and consultations on 100 cases. Almost two-thirds of the caseworkers participating in the study reported that they had no contact with the father of the focus child during the previous six months. Only 2 percent of fathers were involved in the most recent case review and 6 percent…
This study measures the likelihood of incarceration among contemporary male youths from father-absent households, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Hypotheses test the contribution of socioeconomic disadvantage, poverty, family instability, residential adults in father-absent households, as well as selection bias. Results from longitudinal event history analysis show that while certain unfavorable circumstances, such as teen motherhood, low parent education, urban residence, racial inequalities and poverty, are associated with incarceration among father-absent…
A framework for defining the role of fathers must acknowledge the importance of commitment, the fact that not all fathers are married to the mother of their children, and responsibilities other than that of "breadwinner." This chapter describes four key dimensions of fathering identified from a review of social science, biological, historical, and theological literature: involvement, consistency, awareness, and nurturance. Involvement depends on the father's ability to be engaged with his children, as well as accessible and responsible for their daily needs. A father's level of involvement…
In this moving and immensely practical book, the bestsellling author of The Wonder of Boys explores the unseen problems and marvels of male adolescents, showing parents, teachers, and mentors how to shepherd boys through the challenging ages of ten to twenty.
With practical, step-by-step advice, therapist Michael Gurian helps parents and educators confront the most common moral and emotional dilemmas of adolescent boyhood. Gurian answers tough questions about the challenges boys face, exploring the hidden biology of the adolescent male, the development of his emotions and body, his…
This guide suggests some of the many flexible ways States may expend their Federal TANF and State MOE funds to further the purposes of the TANF program. This guide is organized into seven sections: (1) Introduction provides some background information, explaining what progress has been made on welfare reform, what the funding situation is, the purposes of TANF, and the purpose of this guide; (2) Considerations in Deciding Whether A Use of Funds is Appropriate presents a list of factors which a State would consider in deciding what benefits and services to fund with Federal or State dollars…
This project largely stems from conversations that began in 1996 and 1997 involving ObieClayton of the Morehouse Research Institute, Ron Mincy of the Ford Foundation, David Blankenhorn of the Institute for American Values, and others.From these discussions, three questions emerged. First, what are the best ways to supportthe growing fatherhood movement in the African American community - a movement thatis relatively ignored by the national media, but which is transforming the lives of many young, poorly educated fathers? Second, is it time for the nation's prominent African American scholars…
