Social expectations of the father’s role in the family have changed considerably in the past three decades. Previously expected to be mainly an economic provider, the “new father” now is expected to also provide day-to-day physical and emotional care to children as an equal partner of the mother (Goldscheider & Waite, 1991) Despite these changing … Read more
Introduction The following article summarises research presentations in Greater Jakarta and Singapore and distils relevant points for discussion and reflection in shaping fatherhood. The presentations were made at Panel 4: Fatherhood Ideology, Aspirations and Motivations as part of the first Asia fatherhood research conference entitled Fatherhood in 21st Century Asia: Research, Interventions, and Policies. Notable … Read more
Introduction Both social service research and practice have historically minimised the importance of fathers. In 1990, researchers reviewing issues of five social science journals published over 27 years found fathers were often portrayed as missing, troubled, and/or perpetrators of maltreatment. Father involvement has certainly lagged behind mother involvement within families and in social programmes. But … Read more
Introduction Research considering how cultural factors influence fatherhood practices is generally scarce. Yet, culture, like other factors, including gender, socio-economic status, and nationality, influences fatherhood. While research focused on socio-economic factors such as income and employment has produced relatively clear results, linking higher income and stable employment with more active father involvement, the link between … Read more
The following is an abstract of the uniqueness of the child-father attachment relationship: Father’s sensitive and challenging play as a pivotal variable in a 16-year longitudinal study. Social Development, 11(3), 307-331 by Grossmann, K., Grossmann, K. E., Fremmer-Bombik, E., Kindler, H. , Scheuerer-Englisch, H. , & Zimmermann, P. (2002). Background Psychologist John Bowlby believed that the … Read more
Introduction The following is an abstract of Social Fathers and Child Wellbeing by Sharon Bzostek. Source: Bzostek, S. (2008). Social fathers and child wellbeing. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70, 950–961 Research indicates that more than one third of all children in the U.S. are now born to unwed parents. Many of these children will experience … Read more
Introduction and Background Research evidence has indicated that parents’ psychiatric disorders are associated with increased risks of psychological and developmental problems in their children (e.g. Murray and Cooper, 2003). Much research has been done on mothers and the impact of their mental health on their children’s development. However, in most countries and cultures, fathers have an … Read more
Introduction This is an abstract of Infant-Parent Attachment and Parental and Child Behaviour during Parent-Toddler Storybook Interaction by Cynthia A. Frosch, Martha J. Cox and Barbara Davis Goldman. The paper was published in 2001 in Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: A Journal of Developmental Psychology. Background This paper studies the association between the infant-parent attachment and later toddler-parent storybook interactions. It adds … Read more
The Critical Transition to Fatherhood Two critical components of a healthy transition to parenthood are parenting self-efficacy – the mastery of the parenthood role – and parenting satisfaction with the parenting role. Both elements describe the parent’s comfort with parenting behaviour required in healthy and effective infant care. For fathers, regardless of background, the birth … Read more
Introduction Among the various challenges faced by non-residential fathers, or fathers who live apart from their children, those faced by fathers behind bars are perhaps the most pronounced. The number of children separated from their fathers due to imprisonment is far higher than those separated from their mothers due to the vast majority of prisoners … Read more