Recent Research Reports and News: April
2004
Fathers—Research |
Children & Families |
Fathers/Mothers in Prison |
Census Data |
Systemic Barriers |
Welfare Reform
The
following articles are from Fathering, A Journal of Theory, Research,
and Practice about Men as Fathers, Vol. 2, No 1, Winter 2004.
-
Low-Income Fathers’ Involvement In Their Toddlers’ Lives:
Biological Fathers From
the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Study, Natasha J. Cabrera,
Rebecca M. Ryan, Jacqueline D. Shannon, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn,Cheri Vogel,
Helen Raikes, Catherine Tamis-LeMonda, and Rachel Cohen.
Abstract:
In this article, we use data on biological fathers (n = 597) and mothers
(N = 1550) from 12 sites of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation
Project (EHS study) to examine the type and frequency of father involvement.
We use a three-part model of father involvement to examine whether fathers
participating in the EHS study are accessible to, engaged with, and
show responsibility for their 2-year-old children. We also examine patterns
of reported father involvement by relationship status and residency.
We find that over 80% of all 2 year-old children in the EHS study have
accessible biological fathers, with the majority of nonresident boyfriends
and of nonresident friends, and over a third of fathers in no relationship
with the mother seeing their children at least once in 3 months. These
accessible fathers are engaged in a range of activities and show responsibility
for their children, although patterns vary by the father-mother relationship
status and father residency. More specifically, fathers who had at least
a romantic relationship with the mother were more involved with their
children across types of involvement than those in no relationship.
Associations between relationship status and father engagement and responsibility
remained after controlling for demographic variation among fathers in
different relationship groups. A significant proportion of fathers who
had no relationship with the mother of their child had some contact
with the child, suggesting that the relationship between mother and
father is not the only factor helping fathers stay involved in
their children’s lives. Finally, fathers report doing a lot more
caregiving than has been suggested by other studies.
-
From Sports Fans To Nurturers: An Early Head Start Program?s Evolution
Toward Father Involvement, Carol L. McAllister, Patrick C. Wilson,
and Jeffrey Burton.
Abstract:
This article is based on an in-depth qualitative study of efforts by
an Early Head Start program to include fathers in program activities
with the aim of supporting and strengthening their involvement in their
children?s lives. Since this program employs a home-visiting model of
service delivery, our focus is on the work and experiences of home visiting
staff. Our key findings concern the evolutionary development of program
thinking and practice regarding fathers and father involvement; barriers
or challenges to father involvement; and successful strategies for engaging
fathers on both a programmatic and an individual family basis. Unlike
most previous research on father involvement, this study provides a
close-up look at staff experiences as they attempt to involve fathers
in programming for infants and toddlers. Although significant barriers
to father involvement were identified, certain approaches and strategies
proved most effective in encouraging father engagement in key program
components and with their youngest children.
-
Preferences and Perceptions About Getting Support Expressed By
Low-Income Fathers, Jean Ann Summers, Kimberly Boller, and Helen
Raikes.
Abstract:
This report examines the perspectives of fathers of low-income children
about their needs and resources for support to help them with their
parenting responsibilities. The data are taken from open-ended, qualitative
interviews of 575 men as part of a comprehensive study of fathers related
to the Early Head Start Longitudinal Study. The interviews, taken when
the father or father figure?s child was 24 months of age, asked fathers
about the barriers they experienced to fathering, about the sources
of support or help they had available, and about supports they thought
might be useful. The transcripts were analyzed using a constant comparison
method to create a coding structure, and coded using NUD*IST software.
The primary barrier discussed by fathers was the difficulty of juggling
work and other time demands, and their time for fathering. A number
of fathers said there were no barriers, and furthermore said they did
not want any help or support. Fathers described their primary sources
of support as: their spouse or partner, their own parents (especially
their mothers), and their own internal resources (e.g., motivation,
patience). Themes fathers discussed related to Early Head Start included
(a) direct supports to fathers for parenting or concrete supports (e.g.,
employment, social services); (b) indirect supports to their child?s
mother; and (c) no supports perceived. Implications for Early Head Start
father involvement programs are discussed.
-
Playing With Daddy: Social Toy Play, Early Head Start, and Developmental
Outcomes, Lori A. Roggman, Lisa K. Boyce, Gina A. Cook, Katie Christiansen,
and DeAnn Jones.
Abstract:
Research on fathers in Early Head Start (EHS) has provided an opportunity
to study fathers from low-income families. We examined father-toddler
social toy play in relation to EHS enrollment, fathers? psychosocial
well-being, and children?s developmental outcomes in a sample of 74
father-toddler dyads. Overall, our results show that father-toddler
social toy play was more complex among fathers in an EHS program than
among those in a comparison group. Greater complexity in father-toddler
social toy play predicted better cognitive and social developmental
outcomes for young children, especially in the program group, but it
was limited by fathers? psychosocial well-being in the comparison group
and by time availability in the program group. Nevertheless, the impact
of EHS on father-toddler play suggests that an early intervention that
targets father involvement can influence positive father-toddler interactions
in ways that enhance early development.
For information on obtaining the fulltext of these articles, visit
the Men's
Studies Press web site.
-
A Regional Tradition of Gender Equity: Shanghai Men in Sydney,
Australia Wei-Wei Da, Journal of Men's Studies, Vol. 12, No.2, Winter
2004.
Drawn on data from in-depth interviews with 34 Chinese migrants in
Sydney, Australia, this study examines the division of labor in the
family, with a focus on men?s housework participation and regional differences
in terms of region of origin in China. An observed pattern of Shanghai
men?s housework participation emerged that does not support the theoretical
underpinnings of power/resources structure, socialization model, and
exchange theory. Shanghai men?s housework participation, self-identification
as Shanghai men, and self-perceived gender roles suggest there is a
regional tradition of gender equity in Shanghai, which has an association
with the early industrialization, women?s participation in the work
force, exposure to the Western influences in Shanghai?s early history,
and the social changes and gender reforms in contemporary Chinese society.
The findings suggest that men?s roles in the family are diverse, ethnic,
historic, and regionalized.
For information on obtaining the fulltext of these articles, visit
the Men's
Studies Press web site.
-
Event Summary: Measuring Child Well-Being: A New Index, Brookings
Institution, March 24, 2004.
Article excerpt:
The Brookings Institution, in cooperation with
the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) and Duke University, today
released new findings on how children are currently faring and how their
status has changed in recent years. The Child Well-Being Index, which
was developed by Duke Professor Kenneth Land, assesses trends in seven
quality-of-life areas for children and young people (aged 1 to 19) from
1975 to 2002. The seven "domains" include mortality, poverty and suicide
rates, drug use, educational test scores, health insurance coverage,
and crimes committed by children.
The study offers mixed news on the overall health and well-being of
American children. Child well-being, as measured by the index, has improved
five percent since 1975. Children are more safe and connected to their
communities than thirty years ago, and teenage birth rates have substantially
declined. However, more children are obese, living in poverty, and attempting
suicide than they were in 1975.
The report shows that overall child well-being steadily declined from
1981 to 1994 because of poor economic conditions, surges in drug use
and crime, and greater numbers of single parent households. Only since
1999 have analysts seen improvements in family environments and a recovery
in child well-being that exceeds 1975 base year levels (when data was
first collected), thanks in part to the economic boom enjoyed during
the 1990s.
-
Census Miscounts Prisoners To Detriment of Urban Areas, Policy
Briefing, Vol. 6, No. 2, Center for Fathers, Families, and Public Policy,
March 2004.
PrisonersoftheCensus.org is a special project of the Prison Policy
Initiative that documents the current practice of using the Census to
count U.S. prisoners as residents of the towns that host prisons rather
than of their actual non-prison residence. Since minorities and urban
residents are overrepresented in prison populations and prisons are
most often located in rural towns, this practice results in a shift
of power and political representation to rural areas when legislative
boundaries are redrawn. The practice is particularly harmful given the
soaring level of incarceration and laws that in 48 states disenfranchise
felons.
For more information on the web site and project, see www.prisonersofthecensus.org.
To obtain a copy of the Policy Briefing, visit the CFFPP
web site.
|
