Throwaway Dads: The Myths and Barriers That Keep Men from Being the Fathers They Want to Be.

Are fathers really important? Of course they are. Yet we as a society have wittingly and unwittingly built nearly insurmountable barriers that restrict men's involvement with their children and families. In Throwaway Dads, a noted researcher on fatherhood and a leading author on the art of being a father explode the myths of neglectful, uninterested, abusive, deadbeat, and lazy dads with real-life studies and statistics. They explain why the largely negative portrayal of fathers in books, movies, and on television is both inaccurate and harmful, training young boys and girls to see men as having little or no role in the family. They also examine in balanced fashion the dubious achievements of both the men's and women's movements in reevaluating the roles of both sexes. Complete with proposals for steps that men, women, employers, the medical community, the media, and the government can take to promote men's involvement in their children's lives, Ross Parke and Armin Brott offer a comprehensive look at how our entire society can experience the benefits and joys of active fatherhood. (Author abstract)