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Journal Article Objective: The present study investigated the extent to which father-daughter relationships predicted risk-taking in a sample of female college students. Specifically, this study examined whether female adolescents' models of father psychological presence predicted substance use and sexual risk-taking, over and above impulsivity, depression, and other risky behaviors. Methods: A sample of 203 female college students were administered several scales assessing father psychological presence, sexual risk-taking, substance use, impulsivity, and depression. Results: Father psychological presence…
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Journal Article Using data from 182 dual-earner couples experiencing the transition to parenthood, this study examined associations between prenatal involvement, gender-role beliefs, and maternal gatekeeping and new fathers' involvement in child health care. Results indicated that prenatal father involvement was associated with fathers' direct engagement in child health care and perceived influence in child health-related decision making. Fathers also demonstrated greater direct engagement in child health care when mothers held more nontraditional beliefs about gender roles. Moreover, when mothers were more…
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Journal Article Gay men are becoming increasingly involved in reproduction despite significant barriers limiting their access to reproductive technologies or legal parentage in many jurisdictions. Based on in-depth interviews with gay men in the United States and Australia who have become parents through surrogacy, I explore how gay men understand their desire to have children and what frames their parenthood experiences. The notion of choice is widespread in understandings of gay parenthood and family formation. Most of the men in this study did not develop a "procreative consciousness" as a result of…
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Journal Article This article reports on a qualitative study about male involvement in parenthood decision making (i.e., decisions related to becoming a first-time parent) in which the focus was on White, heterosexual men. Little is known about the roles and involvement of these men in decision-making processes. They comprise an invisible norm in research as heteronormative assumptions about parenthood cause them to be overlooked. This oversight-exacerbated by the pervasive problem perspective in social science-forms the research rationale. Conducted within a gender-relational framework, the study included 23…
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Journal Article This exploratory study reports on the reasons for entering the role and stigma experiences of 207 stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs). Overall, economic, pragmatic reasons and strong parenting values were the most common reasons guiding the decision to become a SAHF. Approximately half of the fathers experienced a stigma-based incident based on their SAHF status. Reasons participants reported for experiencing stigma including lack of familiarity with the role, religious beliefs, opposing attitudes about gender roles, and ignorance. Men who experienced a stigma-based incident reported lower levels of…
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Journal Article This study examined relationships between masculinity ideologies, perceived discrimination, and parenting behaviors on depressive symptoms and drinking behavior among 332 nonresident African-American fathers. Masculinity ideologies also were examined as moderators of perceived discrimination and parenting behaviors on outcomes. Results from hierarchical regression analyses showed that culturally based traditional masculinity was associated with less depressive symptoms. Perceived discrimination was linked to more depressive symptoms; however, positive relationships with sons were associated…
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Journal Article Combining social construction of gender and equity perspectives on parents' division of labor, this study extended research on associations between parents' childrearing involvement and adjustment by (a) differentiating between types of childrearing activities (task focused vs. relationship focused), (b) examining patterns of differences in these links for mothers versus fathers, and (c) testing whether gender-role attitudes regarding family labor moderated these associations. One hundred sixty-nine mothers and fathers reported on perceptions of their involvement in relationship-focused and…
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In 2008, both mothers and fathers exited the workforce for various reasons, including caring for a minor child. Estimates from Current Population Survey (CPS) data spanning 1968-2009 indicate the percentage of homes with a stay-at-home father in which the wife earned 100% of the income increased from 1.2% to 3.4% (the percentage of homes with a stay-at-home mother decreased from 47.7% to 25.7%) (Kramer and McColloch, 2010). The increased trend of fathers leaving the workforce to take care of a child is associated with financial reasons (Doucet, 2004), parenting values, career advancement of…
