Recent Research Reports and News: March
2003
Fathers—Research | Children
& Families | Fatbers/Mothers
in Prison | Census Data
| Systemic Barriers
| Welfare Reform
| NCOFF Abstracts
-
Handbook of Father Involvement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives,
Catherine S. Tamis-LeMonda and Natasha Cabrera (editors), Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, 2002.
Publisher Description:
This book brings together experts from diverse scientific disciplines
who share an interest in the topic of father involvement. Unlike most
books in the field, which tend to solely draw from a psychological
perspective, this Handbook merges theories and research from the unique
fields of psychology, economics, demography sociology, anthropology,
and social policy. For the most part, research on fathering is  motivated
by concern for children's well-being. Social scientists share a core
set of questions, including: *"Who are fathers?" *"What
is father involvement and how does it affect children and families?"
*"What are the determinants of father involvement?" *"How
do cultural contexts shape fathers' roles in families?" This
Handbook sheds light on how a cross-disciplinary approach to the study
of fathering can advance knowledge about these fundamental questions.
This integrative approach is fundamental to a comprehensive understanding
of human development generally, and to fathering more specifically.
At the core of this book are the goals of describing and understanding
the nature, antecedents, and consequences of father involvement across
biological status, family structure, culture, and stages in children's
development--both within and across scientific boundaries. Each of
the scientific disciplines represented offers unique methodological
and theoretical approaches to the study of fathering and to the interpretation
of behavioral patterns that characterize ecological systems that include--as
well as extend beyond--family units. Together, the chapters offer
provocative and challenging insight into the nature and meaning of
fatherhood and father involvement by questioning longstanding assumptions
about fathers' roles in the lives of families and children in current
history.
Contents: C.S. Tamis-LeMonda, N. Cabrera, Multidisciplinary
Perspectives on Father Involvement: An Introduction. L.A. Roggman,
H.E. Fitzgerald, R.H. Bradley, H. Raikes, Methodological, Measurement,
and Design Issues in Studying Fathers: An Interdisciplinary Perspective.
Part I: S.L. Hofferth, The Demography of Fathers. D.J. Hernandez,
P.D. Brandon, Who Are the Fathers of Today? S.L. Hofferth, J. Pleck,
J.L. Stueve, S. Bianchi, L. Sayer, The Demography of Fathers: What
Fathers Do. Part II: M.E. Lamb, Father Involvement and Child Development.
M.E. Lamb, Infant-Father Attachments and Their Impact on Child Development.
R. Palkovitz, Involved Fathering and Child Development: Advancing
Our Understanding of Good Fathering. R.D. Parke, D.J. McDowell,
M. Kim, C. Killian, J. Dennis, M.L. Flyr, M.N. Wild, Fathers' Contributions
to Children's Peer Relationships. M.E. Lamb, Nonresidential Fathers
and Their Children. Part III: L.M. Burton, Sociological and Anthropological
Perspectives on Fatherhood: Traversing Lenses, Methods, and Invisible
Men. D.J. Eggebeen, Sociological Perspectives on Fatherhood: What
Do We Know About Fathers From Social Surveys? R.L. Jarrett, K.M.
Roy, L.M. Burton, Fathers in the "Hood": Insights From
Qualitative Research on Low-Income African-American Men. N. Townsend,
Cultural Contexts of Father Involvement. J.L. Roopnarine, Father
Involvement in English-Speaking Caribbean Families. Part IV: F.
Marlowe, Father Involvement: Evolutionary Perspectives. J. Bock,
S.E. Johnson, Male Migration, Remittances, and Child Outcome Among
the Okavango Delta Peoples of Botswana. D. Waynforth, Evolutionary
Theory and Reproductive Responses to Father Absence: Implications
of Kin Selection and the Reproductive Returns to Mating and Parenting
Effort. S.C. Josephson, Fathering as Reproductive Investment. Part
V: I. Garfinkel, Father Involvement: Economic Perspectives. P. England,
N. Folbre, Involving Dads: Parental Bargaining and Family Well-Being.
W. Sigle-Rushton, I. Garfinkel, The Effects of Welfare, Child Support,
and Labor Markets on Father Involvement? J.W. Graham, A.H. Beller,
Nonresident Fathers and Their Children: Child Support and Visitation
From an Economic Perspective. Part VI: J. Brooks-Gunn, S. McLanahan,
Father Involvement: Social Policy and Intervention. M.J. Carlson,
S.S. McLanahan, Fragile Families, Father Involvement, and Public
Policy. N. Cabrera, J. Brooks-Gunn, K. Moore. J. West, K. Boller,
C.S. Tamis-LeMonda, Bridging Research and Policy: Including Fathers
of Young Children in National Studies. T.J. Nelson, S. Clampet-Lundquist,
K. Edin, Sustaining Fragile Fatherhood: Father Involvement Among
Low-Income, Noncustodial African-American Fathers in Philadelphia.
R.B. Mincy, H.W. Pouncy, The Responsible Fatherhood Field: Evolution
and Goals. C.S. Tamis-LeMonda, N. Cabrera, Closing Chapter: Cross-Disciplinary
Challenges to the Study of Father Involvement.
-
Should Dad get more leave? Paternity leave is more accepted than
it once was, but it's by no means a given. Commentary: Everyday
Money, Jeanne Sahadi, CNN/Money Senior Staff Writer, March
12, 2003.
Article Excerpt:
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Think about all the new dads you've known.
How much time did they take off from work when their kids arrived?
Some probably took a couple of days. Others may have taken off a
week, even two. But how many new fathers take off even half the
time from work as the mothers of their children do?
At the very least, many mothers who work full-time often have the
option of taking eight to 10 weeks with partial pay, thanks to a
combination of short-term disability insurance and corporate policy.
Companies offering paid leave to new fathers, however, are still
the exception rather than the rule. According to a survey of its
members, the Society for Human Resources Management found that 14
percent of companies offered paid paternity leave.
Just how much is not known. Even among big companies that offer
it, the number of days can vary widely. Microsoft, for instance,
offers 4 weeks of paid leave; Merrill Lynch offers one week.
Even when there's no formal policy in place, some sympathetic bosses
try to be flexible about giving new dads days off here and there.
But that's a little like slipping someone money under the table:
the recipients appreciate it, but it's not legitimate.
For a copy of the complete article, visit the CNN/Money
web site.
-
Young dads: The effects of a parenting program on urban African-American adolescent fathers, Carl Mazza, Adolescence, Vol. 37 ISS. 148 pgs. 681-693, Winter 2002.
Abstract:
Sixty urban African-American adolescent first-time fathers were randomly assigned to two groups to study intervention strategies that would help them develop better and more consistent relationships with their young children. The fathers were administered a pretest interview schedule to determine their present quality of life as well as their relationships with their children. In addition to biweekly parenting classes, each member of the experimental group was assigned a social worker with whom he met weekly to assist him with his life needs. The control group was offered weekly parenting classes that focused on learning how to meet the infants' needs. At the end of six months, both groups were interviewed again. Findings indicated that the experimental group made significant gains in employment, vocational planning, feeling positive about their current relationships with their children, using birth control, being able to plan for the future, and increasing the number of close friends.
For a copy of the complete article, contact Libra Publishers at 619-571-1414.
-
A Cross-Cohort Examination of Nonmarital Teenage Childbearing,
Traci Mach, Joint Center on Poverty Research, JCPR Working Paper
322, January, 13, 2003.
JCPR Abstract:
The current paper looks at the nonmarital teenage childbearing behavior
of two cohorts of NLSY women. It constructs a monthly panel of information
for the teens from the time they are twelve years old until they have
a nonmarital birth, reach the end of their third survey without giving
birth, get married, or reach age 18. The research attempts to identify
the factors that have contributed to the differences in teenage childbearing
behavior that we observe across the cohorts of women by estimating
a Cox proportional hazard model, stratified on race, age of mother
at the birth of her first child, and the rate of marriage in the state.
The model identifies education, living situations, religion, and welfare
policy as factors. Specifically, for the youths of the 1990s, the
introduction of restrictions on living conditions, the so-called minor
parent provisions, act as a retardant to nonmarital childbearing.
The model also shows that higher education for the youth and her mother
delay childbearing for both cohorts of women. Finally, living with
ones biological father at age 14 is linked with delayed childbearing,
with hazard rates nearly 60 and 40 percent lower for teens of the
two cohorts.
For a copy of the complete paper in PDF format, visit the JCPR
web site.
-
Teens and Gender Roles, Seventeen Magazine and Kaiser Family Foundation, March 2003.
As part of an on-going public information partnership called SexSmarts, seventeen and the Kaiser Family Foundation conduct nationally-representative surveys of teens 15 to 17 on issues related to their sexual health. The latest in the series is about gender roles. Many old stereotypes persist among teens today reflecting a "double standard" when it comes to relationships and sexual decision-making. Teens of both genders say girls, more so than boys, are likely to feel pressure to have sex to keep a relationship, while at the same time girls are also more likely to "get a bad reputation" if they do. Nine of ten teens agree that it is a good thing for a girl to be a virgin, while fewer think the same applies to boys. Conversations about pregnancy or disease are seen by many teens as primarily the girl's responsibility.
New Citations from
NCOFF's FatherLit Database
|
