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Journal Article Neoconservative social scientists have claimed that fathers are essential to positive child development and that responsible fathering is most likely to occur within the context of heterosexual marriage. This perspective is generating a range of governmental initiatives designed to provide social support preferences to fathers over mothers and to heterosexual married couples over alternative family forms. The authors propose that the neoconservative position is an incorrect or oversimplified interpretation of empirical research. Using a wide range of cross-species, cross-cultural, and social…
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Journal Article Maternal gatekeeping is conceptualized within the framework of the social construction of gender and is defined as having three dimensions: mothers' reluctance to relinquish responsibility over family matters by setting rigid standards, external validation of a mothering identity and differentiated conceptions of family roles. These three conceptual dimensions of gatekeeping are operationalized with modest reliability and tested with a confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 622 dual-earner mothers. With cluster analyses, 21% of the mothers were classified as gatekeepers. Gatekeepers did…
This workbook was provided to participants in an Early Head Start/Child Welfare orientation training program held in June 2003, in Washington D.C. The first part of workbook includes information about the child welfare system, including the Children’s Bureau and child welfare services. The second part of the workbook includes child welfare resources, including a listing of federal funding resources for technical assistance, prevention activities, and online resources. The following sections review the major components of the Head Start program and the Early Head Start program. And provide…
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Journal Article This article presents a discussion on a book called "The Fatherhood Movement: A Call to Action." Participants include: Susan Albright, an editorial pages editor of the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune; David Blankenhorn, the founder and president of the New York based Institute for American Values, a private, nonpartisan organization devoted to research, publication, and education on issues of family well-being and civil society; and Wade Horn, president and co-founder of the Maryland-based National Fatherhood Initiative. The discussion touches on the reasons for a fatherhood movement, the…
Brief
Fathers are involved in their children's lives in a multitude of ways that go beyond the traditional roles of economic provider and playmate. However, few studies that include fathers tap all aspects of fathers' involvement in children's lives. Furthermore, the quality of father-child interactions is not as frequently studied or as well understood as is the quantity of father-child contact. This is especially problematic given the large number of U.S. fathers who do not live with their children. Researchers are now calling for an expansion of research to address aspects of father…
In this report we describe the state of current research on father involvement and point to ways in which research findings might inform the economic and public policies that affect fathers. We do not intend an extensive review of the literature (see Lamb, 1997); rather, our goal is to integrate research and policies on father involvement into a framework that emphasizes the synergistic relationship between the two. A central aim of this report is to highlight limitations of past research and policies on father involvement and to raise questions that we hope will guide future efforts in this…
This working paper explores the role of fathers and father-child relationships in the psychosocial development of adolescents by examining outcomes data from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) files on children and mothers. The survey uses a number of measures to evaluate child development and well being; other characteristics of children and mothers; information about family structure and household makeup; family income, home environment, and other sociodemographic factors; as well as children's perceptions of their mother, father, and or/step father. The initial survey was…
Brief
This Policy Brief will summarize the "Children First Child Support Reform Act of 1999" and the "Fathers Count Act of 1999." Although these bills did not become law this legislative session, they are likely to be contended with in similar forms in future sessions. This brief is intended to clarify the actual provisions of each bill in order to facilitate a clear understanding of the specifics in future debates on such provisions. The "Children First Child Support Reform Act of 1999," sponsored by Senator Herb Kohl, was referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance but was not acted on in…
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Journal Article This study examines the impact of state welfare reform policies on the paternal involvement of low-income single fathers. Life history interviews were conducted with 40 African American fathers participating in a community-based parenting program in Chicago. Men's rightful claims to fatherhood were constructed through voluntary involvement with their children and enforced paternity establishment. Welfare policies gave precedence to child support and providing and dismissed fathers' in-kind caregiving. Policy requirements reflected limited understanding of related caregiving and providing…
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Journal Article Current demographic patterns indicate that a significant number of children are living apart from their biological fathers, suggesting a structural fragility or vulnerability of men's connections with their children. In this article, we first explore whether fathers have concerns about possible disruptions of their relationships with their children and identify the nature of these concerns. Next, we identify those characteristics that distinguish the fathers with high levels of concern from those who are less concerned. The quality of the marital or partner relationship strongly predicts…
