This compendium includes contributions from international experts on the state of fatherhood across cultures, classes, economic systems, and family formations. It begins with a review of the evolution of the role of fathers in family life and research findings on the influences of fathers on children. Chapter 2 then analyzes the widespread belief that fathers' roles and patterns of influence on children's development are intricately linked to their masculinity, and Chapter 3 explores reasons why the concept of paternal involvement was originally conceived and operationalized and the…
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.…
This chapter describes a grant program spearheaded by the Sisters of Charity Foundation to reduce poverty by addressing fatherlessness in South Carolina. The foundation created a partnership with the University of South Carolina and concerned communities across South Carolina to analyze the fatherless problem, develop a plan for strategic action, and initiate a planning process. The process resulted in six funded programs representing an investment of $2.2 million by the Sisters of Charity Foundation. The majority of those served by programs will be African American men and their children.…
