NCJ Number
178762
Journal
Youth & Society Volume: 31 Issue: 1 Dated: September 1999 Pages: 76-99
Date Published
1999
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This article examines American fathers’ participation in the behavioral, affective, and cognitive domains of child rearing for children aged 5 to 18 years.
Abstract
The article focuses on the extent to which participation varies by race or ethnicity, gender and family ideologies, and the interaction between these factors. Minority fathers consistently outperformed white fathers in the cognitive domain. Hispanic men, perhaps more than other groups in America, approached fathering as a reflection of their strong belief in the value of family and as a contribution to the overall life of the family. For white men, parenting may have been more of a duty associated with the fathering role itself. The three groups of fathers were equally likely to express affection with their children. The prominent role of the cognitive domain may indicate that other social and cultural forces were at play as well. For example, Hispanic and African American men confront disproportionately more structural barriers to economic success than do whites, which helps to create the context of fathering in US society. Tables, note, references