Newswise — Fathers are increasingly being put under the microscope to see just what they're made of. University of Maryland researchers have been looking at dads for a long time, and have some pretty good ideas about what makes a father tick.
"Fathers matter," says Assistant Professor of Education Natasha Cabrera, who heads up Maryland's Center for Family Involvement (Dept. of Human Development). "Fathers are recognized as important contributors, beyond economic providers, to their children's development. They're not just a 'second pair of hands' in a family," she says.
Professor Cabrera leads the planning committee for the upcoming National Fatherhood Forum at Maryland June 16 and 17. She says that it is going to focus on what's been learned about fathers in the past six years - and to highlight key themes for future research. Cabrera says one thing that research has already shown is that parenting has fundamentally changed over the latter part of the last century due to social, economic, technological and cultural factors.
One of the biggest changes has been the role of the father in a family; a role, says Cabrera, that is similar to mom's but also different. "Fathers interact differently with their children, and that involvement has unique short and long- term effects on how children learn and develop," she says. "We have also started to recognize the various types of fathers - single, married, cohabiting, biological, step dad, adaptive dad - and the various investments that these men can make in their children."
What about low-income and minority fathers? Despite the stereotype, it turns out they care just as much about their children as everyone else. "We have unprecedented data, especially on minority low income fathers, that challenges the one-size-fits-all idea of fatherhood. Many low-income fathers struggle and work hard for their children, despite insurmountable barriers," the Maryland fatherhood expert says.
There's also a growing demand for equality when a parenting dispute goes to court. "Fathers are becoming outspoken as parents and are demanding equal treatment to mothers," says Prof. Cabrera. "Courts are now more willing to consider awarding sole custody to single fathers. We may not live in a "fatherless" America as was believed in the 1990s."
For More information on the Web:http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/culture/release.cfm?ArticleID=1083
Father's Day and Fatherhood Experts:http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/experts/hottopic.cfm?hotlist_id=25
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