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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…
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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…
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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…
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Journal Article The study is an exploratory attempt to examine family and life satisfaction of 212 noncustodial fathers 3 years following divorce, using path analysis to validate the hypothesized ordering among six dependent variables suggested by resource theory. Results indicated the significant predictors of family and life satisfaction were perceived economic well-being, cooperative communication during conflict and during coparenting, low importance of resource deprivation, and low frequency of conflict. Involvement with children was not a significant predictor of family and life satisfaction. Resource…
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Journal Article The reconciliation of work and family demands places unusual stress on many single-parent families. Using a 1995 random sample of single fathers (n = 346) and single mothers (n = 364) in military communities, we explored the relationship between gender and the ability of parents to manage work and family responsibilities. Using ANOVA and discriminant function analyses, we found no gender differences in the proportion of single parents who perceived they were successful at managing family and work responsibilities. However, there were significant gender differences in how men and women use…
Brief
With interviews and live action, the film moves from cradle to grave, through the lives of over 50 American men and boys. From babies, baseball and boot-camp, to leaving home, starting new families and the passing of generations, Fathers & Sons is a portrayal of this core human relationship.
