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Journal Article The authors use an ecological framework and grounded theoretical analysis to explore the circumstances in which working-class and low-income custodial African American fathers gain custody of their children; their transition from part-time to full-time parents; and the role of support networks in enhancing or inhibiting these men's parenting. Twenty-four men from an impoverished Midwestern urban area participated in the study. The findings suggest that these men, and perhaps others sharing their demographic profiles, generally become parents by default and are often reluctant to take on a…
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Journal Article Although research increasingly focuses on non-resident biological fathers, little attention has been given to the role of other men in children s lives. The authors examine the factors associated with social father presence and their influence on preschoolers development. Findings indicate that the majority of children have a social father and that mother, child, and nonresident biological father characteristics are all related to social father presence. These associations differ depending on whether the social father is the mother s romantic partner or a male relative. The social father s…
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation are presented in this chapter to describe the demographic, family, and socioeconomic characteristics of fathers residing with children. The racial and ethnic diversity of co-resident fathers, the number of dependent children, the marital status of the father, educational attainment, labor force participation, and poverty are addressed. Differences between fathers living with biological children, stepchildren, and both biological and stepchildren are highlighted. Most of the data are…
This chapter analyzes statistical data from the 1997 Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males (third wave), the 1998 Trends in Time Use Study, and the 1999 National Omnibus Study to explore how fathers are involved in the lives of their children. The review focuses on the amount of time that fathers spend with their children, the quality of their involvement, and the types of activities in which they participate. Results are presented for all fathers, fathers of biological children, fathers of stepchildren, and men living…
Qualitative research has provided valuable insights into the relationships between low income, urban, African American men and their children. This chapter summarizes findings from classic and recent studies about the impact of neighborhood characteristics, negotiations between fathers and mothers and their extended families, the social construct of fathers and mothers, and the variety of father figures who take responsibility for paternal tasks. Conducted by researchers in the fields of anthropology, education, human development, and sociology, the studies used techniques such as open-ended…
This chapter utilizes an anthropological perspective to explore the influence of cultural values on expectations for fatherhood. The analysis compares the experiences of fathers in California with fathers in Botswana, which has a high incidence of female-headed households and births to nonmarried parents. Patterns of cultural expectations and perceptions are highlighted. In the United States, society still considers the father to be the primary financial provider and the mother to be the primary homemaker, despite criticisms that the model is outdated and irrelevant to people of different…
English speaking Caribbean men's relationships with their children are affected by a variety of factors that distinguish them from fathers in other countries, such as the complexity of mating and marital unions, cultural values regarding manhood and fatherhood, parenting knowledge, economics, and migration patterns. In low-income Caribbean families, mating and marital unions occur with different levels of commitment, from visiting or friending relationships, in which men and women meet for sexual and social contact, to common-law relationships, marital unions, and single parents.…
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Journal Article In Western societies, mothering and fathering are generally conceptualized as distinct social roles, marriage being considered as the institution which provides the best framework for child-rearing (nuclear family model). Yet it is important that health care practitioners recognize that children can be successfully raised in very diverse types of family organizations, including extended female-headed families. Although at first sight the extended family model appears to be lacking in male models and therefore seems to be defective, this article asserts that functional extended matrifocal…
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Journal Article This article documents the changes in men's experience of living with their own children. Data are drawn from seven Current Population Surveys (1965-1995) to identify trends in the likelihood of living with children, cohort differences in the experience of living with many children or with preschool age children, the timing of living with children, and variations in patterns by race and level of education. The data indicate that men's experience of living with children declined dramatically across cohorts. Residency with children decreased by 66 percent for men aged 20 to 24 and by 57 percent…
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Journal Article To investigate fathers' involvement with their children using an ecological model, multiple respondents, and a comprehensive definition of fathers' involvement. The study's primary objectives were: (a) to describe the characteristics of fathers whose infants are born to low-income, urban, African-American adolescent mothers; (b) to describe the ways in which fathers are involved with their children; and (c) to identify factors associated with fathers' involvement. (Author abstract)
