The extent to which men are beginning to enact new, more flexible models of masculinity remains an empirical question. What we do know is that many men continue to adhere rigidly to traditional gender role ideologies, which have been consistently linked to a range of negative physical and psychological outcomes (Berger, Addis, Green, Mackowiak, & Goldberg, 2013; Levant & Richmond, 2007; O'Neil, 2008). Although these trends continue, there is one area of men’s lives where such changes have been visible, quantifiable, and widespread: fathering. Such shifts, the focus of the current…
Since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the psychological study of masculinity and the practice of gender-sensitive approaches to psychotherapy with boys and men has gradually become a specialty area within psychology. Recognizing that masculinity is a central aspect of men’s lives, psychologists began to study the male socialization process, socially prescribed notions of masculinity, and the psychological and social problems of boys and men (Englar-Carlson, 2006). Within this movement, a group of pioneering psychologists developed the gender role strain paradigm (GRSP) as a framework for the…
Evolutionary theory suggests that males of all species make a choice between investing their energies in raising their children and investing their energies in mating. In most organisms, the male invests his energies in mating, while the female cares for the young. This process of selection also shapes human reproductive decisions about the level of investment to be made in mating and parenting. Longitudinal data on 19th century Mormons was analyzed to determine the effects of reproductive strategies on children. Polygynous fathers who invested resources in multiple wives were compared to…
Designed for parents of adolescents, this book discusses the pressures teenagers feel about becoming sexually active and describes strategies parents can use to promote abstinence. Information is provided on the top ten pressures on teens to have sex, the effectiveness of using directive education with teenagers, and ways to talk to teenagers about abstinence. Following chapters explain the impact of peer pressure, and the influences of television, movies, music, advertizing, and the Internet. Facts about condoms and sexually transmitted diseases are also explained. The second part of the…
Designed for adolescents, this book discusses the pressures teenagers feel about becoming sexually active and provides information about teenage sexuality. Information is provided on the downward trend in teenage sexual activity, the top ten pressures on teens to have sex, the impact of peer pressure, and the influences of television, movies, and music. Facts about condoms and sexually transmitted diseases are also explained. The second part of the book discusses the power of teenagers to determine the course of their own lives, strategies for self-control, the five dimensions of sexual…
This text explores a broad range of perspectives on pregnancy and parenting at a young age from different international and cultural contexts, and looks at interventions and examples of good practice. Following an introduction, Chapter 1 provides statistics on teenage pregnancy and motherhood in the United Kingdom and other European countries, considers societal definitions of age, and discusses conceptualizations of sexuality, reproduction, and motherhood. Chapter 2 considers the Hmong in the United States as a community experiencing dramatic change while attempting to maintain its values,…
The father's role in child development and in the etiology of child maltreatment is examined in the context of families with absent fathers. Child maltreatment is defined, including subtle forms of emotional abuse and neglect, with an emphasis on the importance of the father's function in the family, which is generally ignored in the child abuse literature. The causes and consequences of paternal neglect or absence are contrasted with those of effective fathering. Not only do fathers have an influence--positive or negative--on how their children grow up, but they can affect the mother's…
The author of this chapter describes the current concerns about fatherlessness and family values as manifestations of dada-ism, an art form characterized by nonsense, travesty, and incongruity. She asserts that the proliferation of fatherhood organizations, literature, and political statements has promoted an alarmist message regarding the dangers of father absence and influenced the American public to believe that fatherlessness is the most important social problem in the nation. The focus on the role of fathers has replaced the political discourse on maternal neglect, which blamed feminism…
The fatherhood movement endorsed by activists such as David Blankenhorn proposes that men be enticed back into the family by policies that ensure their authority over their wife and children. However, this strategy focuses on the male's role as father rather than parent and is contrary to the feminist vision of equality in marriage. Feminist principles assert that masculinity and male domination are linked to violence and that the goal of returning to the family structure of 1950s America is undesirable. This chapter presents two case studies to illustrate the relationship between economic…
