Fatherhood Matters

For too long, we've thought of fathers as little more than sources of authority and economic stability in the lives of their children. Yet cutting-edge studies drawing unexpected links between fathers and children are forcing us to reconsider our assumptions and ask new questions: What changes occur in men when they are "expecting"? Do fathers affect their children's language development? What are the risks and rewards of being an older-than-average father at the time the child is born? What happens to a father's hormone levels at every stage of his child's development, and can a child influence the father's health? Just how much do fathers matter? In Do Fathers Matter? the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn overturns the many myths and stereotypes of fatherhood as he examines the latest scientific findings on the parent we've often overlooked. Drawing on research from neuroscientists, animal behaviorists, geneticists, and developmental psychologists, among others, Raeburn takes us through the various stages of fatherhood, revealing the profound physiological connections between children and fathers, from conception through adolescence and into adulthood—and the importance of the relationship between mothers and fathers. In the process, he challenges the legacy of Freud and mainstream views of parental attachment, and also explains how we can become better parents ourselves. Ultimately, Raeburn shows how the role of the father is distinctly different from that of the mother, and that embracing fathers' significance in the lives of young people is something we can all benefit from. An engrossing, eye-opening, and deeply personal book that makes a case for a new perspective on the importance of fathers in our lives no matter what our family structure, Do Fathers Matter? will change the way we view fatherhood today.

This book traces changes in what it means to be a dad in America, from the 1960s through today. Beginning with an overview of fatherhood in America from the “founding fathers” through the 1950s, the book progresses to the role of fathers as they were encouraged to move beyond being simply providers to becoming more engaged parents.

Contributors examine the literature that challenges widely held assumptions about the form of the family, familial authority patterns, and the function of courtship, marriage, and family life from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Topics include: the family as a microcosm of the larger political sphere in Charlotte Smith, Jane West, Elizabeth Fenwick, Mrs. Opie, and Mary Shelley, and alternatives to the nuclear patriarchal family in Charlotte Bront�, Harriet Jacobs, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Mary Louisa Molesworth.

All human beings are made in the image of God, and form part of God’s creation. Families per se are valuable to God, and they can be infused with God-given solutions (biblically based) to the challenges they are facing. One of these challenges are father absence and it is a devastated social ill in many communities. Even so, missional fatherhood can be a buffer against father absence, un-involvement of fathers and numerous family issues. Missional fathers are filled with a God-given mission aiming to instil a love for Christ in the hearts of their children. They are not only called but obliged to lead sacrificial lives for the sake of their families. Their hearts engage with their children on aspects in life that matters the most. Transforming their minds by the Word of God and serving God the Father is far-reaching. Missional fathers are not only disciple-makers in their homes but also in their respective communities. This present-day notion is God’s calling on every father to be part of the Gospel and God’s holistic mission and is in response to Jesus’s Great Commission to make disciples of all people including families. All who decided and turn to the way of Jesus Christ form part of the mission that God had given the Son.

Are fathers being marginalized in the contemporary family? Responding to fears that they are, the self-proclaimed "fatherhood responsibility movement" (FRM) has worked since the mid-1990s to put fatherhood at the center of U.S. national politics. Anna Gavanas's Fatherhood Politics in the United States analyzes the processes, reveals the internal struggles, and traces the myths that drive this powerful movement. Unlike previous investigations that rely on literary or other secondary sources, Fatherhood Politics works from primary ethnographic material to represent a wider range of voices and actors. Interacting with and interviewing members of the most powerful and well-known national fatherhood organizations, Gavanas observed Promise Keeper rallies, men's workshops, and conferences on masculinity, fatherhood, and marriage. Providing a detailed overview of the different organizations involved and their various rhetorical strategies, Gavanas breaks down the FRM into two major wings. The "pro-marriage" wing sees marriage as the key to solving all social problems, while the "fragile family" organizations worry about unemployment, racism, and discrimination. Gavanas uses her extensive anthropological fieldwork as the basis for discussions of gender, sexuality, and race in her analysis of these competing voices. Taking us inside the internal struggles, tensions, and political machinations of the FRM, Gavanas offers a behind-the-scenes look at a movement having real impact on current social policy. Fatherhood Politics is an essential work for anyone interested in the politics of masculinity, parenthood, marriage, race, and sexuality.

This aim of this open access book is to launch an international, cross-disciplinary conversation on fatherhood engagement. By integrating perspective from three sectors -- Health, Social Policy, and Work in Organizations -- the book offers a novel perspective on the benefits of engaged fatherhood for men, for families, and for gender equality. The chapters are crafted to engaged broad audiences, including policy makers and organizational leaders, healthcare practitioners and fellow scholars, as well as families and their loved ones.

This handbook examines the psychology of fatherhood throughout the lifespan and across multiple contexts. It synthesizes the trajectory of research and theorization of fathering that has traditionally dominated fatherhood literature. The book explores fathering within the developmental stages of children, from infancy to adulthood. In addition, it addresses the health and well-being of fathers from the perinatal period onward, with a focus on isolation, loss, trauma, and mental and physical health. The book emphasizes positive fatherhood and masculinity, thereby offering new perspectives of fatherhood. It synthesizes cutting-edge research on the intersectionality of fathering and provides knowledge of fatherhood for diverse populations, including military, LGBTQ, and fathers on the margins. The handbook reviews clinical assessment as well as community-based prevention and intervention strategies for issues of fatherhood and examines directions for future public policy and on-the-ground work. It offers recommendations for promoting the health and well-being of fathers and their families from multiple perspectives. Key areas of coverage include: Historical, multicultural, and future directions in the research of fatherhood. Fatherhood and child development, from infancy to emerging adulthood. Grandfathering and adult children. Fatherhood and men’s mental and physical health and well-being. Positive masculinity and fatherhood. The Handbook of the Psychology of Fatherhood is an invaluable resource for researchers, clinicians and practitioners, and policy advocates as well as graduate students in developmental psychology, social work, public health, pediatrics, human development, family studies, child and adolescent psychiatry, school and educational psychology, and all interrelated disciplines.

Life comes in seasons. In every season, dad matters. Each season of fatherhood has a different role for dads. In The Seasons of Fatherhood, we will explore some key practices to help us succeed in our role for that season. The lessons in this book are what God has been teaching me about fathering four remarkable people.