Title: The changing role of the modern day father
Headings: The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father
The Changing Role of the Modern Day Father
Content: Research has found that African-American men are more likely to physically care for, feed and prepare meals for their infants than either white or Hispanic fathers. Emerging research on cultural influences on parenting beliefs in the African-American community show family and community pressure on unmarried non-residential fathers to provide financial and child-care support at marginally higher rates than their white and Hispanic counterparts. Some ethnographic data has emerged that significant amounts of paternal financial support (both cash and in-kind aid) may go unreported in formal systems. Many unemployed fathers may have access to their children restricted by the child’s mother/ family members or may even remove themselves due to their own shame resulting from inability to provide financial support. Even incarcerated fathers can play a role in the rearing of their children by regularly communicating with and making parenting decisions with their spouses and other family members. Even in cases where biological fathers are completely absent, maternal partners, stepfathers, grandparents or other relatives may serve as father figures. The status of the father's relationship with his child's mother serves an important influence on father involvement. Non-residential fathers are at high risk for becoming disconnected from their children over time. Lacking a minimally close relationship, as is the case when couples become acquaintances, is likely to result in lower levels of paternal engagement of children. Divorced and step-fathers
In cases of divorce, it is often difficult if not impossible for fathers to maintain the same types of parenting roles with their biological children.