Low-income African American Fathers Research Articles

The benefits and challenges of visitation practices in correctional settings: Will video visitation assist incarcerated fathers and their children?

Increased incarceration over the last thirty years has dismantled family structures, leaving many low-income African-American fathers physically separated from their children. Jails, in particular, serve as the gateway to imprisonment, holding one-third of the adult incarcerated population, and have grown nearly as rapidly as the state prison population. As the gateway to imprisonment, jails can serve a crucial role in facilitating or impeding communication among fathers and their children if facilities' visitation policies and practices are family-focused. In this article, we find that early and frequent visitation benefits incarcerated fathers (e.g. fathers' role identity, reduced misconduct, and positive reentry outcomes) and their children (e.g. maintain familial structure, family reunification, and reduced trauma from separation). We discuss that visitation policies vary across facility types and within states. Additionally, we find that family-focused visitation practices are diminishing and that a new form of visitation through video technology has emerged, which is often less-regulated in jails. Finally, we conclude with existing and proposed policy implications at the local, state, and federal levels.

Risk, resilience, and depressive symptoms in low-income African American fathers.

Parental depression influences family health but research on low-income African American fathers is limited. The primary goal of the present study was to examine the role of paternal risk factors and resilience resources in predicting depressive symptoms in the year after birth of a child in a sample of African American fathers. We hypothesized that paternal risk factors (low socioeconomic status [SES], perceived stress, negative life events, racism, avoidant coping style) and resources (social support, self-esteem, collective efficacy, approach-oriented coping style) would predict depressive symptoms in fathers at 1 year postbirth controlling for depressive symptoms at 1 month postbirth. African American fathers (n = 296) of predominantly low SES from 5 U.S. regions were interviewed at 1 and 12 months after birth of a child regarding potential risk factors, resilience resources, and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were low on average. However, hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that avoidant coping style and experiences of racism predicted more depressive symptoms in fathers nearly a year after the birth of a child controlling for symptoms at 1 month. How fathers cope with stress and common everyday experiences of racism contributed to depressive symptoms in the year following birth of a child. Interventions that target race-related stressors and decrease avoidant coping may promote better outcomes in this important and understudied population. (PsycINFO Database Record

Risk, resilience, and depressive symptoms in low-income African American fathers.

Risk, resilience, and depressive symptoms in low-income African American fathers.

The moderating role of relationship skills education on depressive symptoms in fathers with young children.

Drawing on couple-focused prevention intervention models that target family level processes, we used complier average causal effect (CACE) estimates to determine whether relationship skills education moderated the association between fathers' depressive symptoms assessed when their children were 15-months-old and again when their children were 36-months-old. The sample consisted of low-income Hispanic American, European American, and African American fathers (N = 2,540) from the Building Strong Families Study. Fathers from 8 sites across the United States were randomly assigned to either a treatment group who were offered relationship skills education or a control group. Paternal age and family residential stability predicted fathers' utilization of intervention services. Relationship skills education moderated the association between depressive symptoms at 15 months and depressive symptoms at 36 months. The impact of dosage of relationship skills education on depressive symptoms was inconsistent and dependent on percentage of receipt of relationship skills education classes. Data are interpreted in the context of the efficacy of intervention programs for tempering depressive symptoms in low-income fathers with young children. (PsycINFO Database Record

The parenting role of African-American fathers in the context of urban poverty

This qualitative study examines low-income African American fathers' perceptions of their parenting role and the strategies they employ to bring up children in poor urban neighborhoods. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 36 fathers who had contact with their children at least twice a month. Men in the study expressed conventional views of their fathering roles as provider, nurturer, and teacher, but placed the most emphasis on "being there" for their children, as their financial circumstances limited other forms of involvement. Many fathers felt their circumstances to be exacerbated by a hostile child-support system. They desired to teach their children alternatives to the negative practices and values they saw in their urban neighborhoods and to have the skills to prosper in mainstream society. Overall, the findings suggest that many low-income urban fathers already desire to be responsible fathers but see themselves as limited by material and structural challenges. Services and policies that promote the economic stability of low-income fathers are recommended.

Making Daddies into Fathers: Community‐based Fatherhood Programs and the Construction of Masculinities for Low‐income African American Men

In this analysis, we explore how low-income African American fathers build understandings of successful manhood in the context of community-based responsible fatherhood programs. Drawing on life history interviews with 75 men in Illinois and Indiana, we explore men's attempts to fulfill normative expectations of fatherhood while living in communities with limited resources. We examine the efforts of community-based fatherhood programs to shape alternative African American masculinities through facilitation of personal turning points and "breaks with the past," use of social support and institutional interventions, and the reframing of provision as a priority of successful fatherhood. We refer to Connell's hegemonic masculinity framework (Connell in Masculinities, Polity Press, Cambridge, 1995) and discuss how both men and programs borrow from hegemonic and street masculinities to develop alternative approaches to paternal involvement for marginalized men.

An Exploratory Study of Fathers' Parenting Stress and Toddlers' Social Development in Low-Income African American Families

The present study tested Abidin's (1992) parenting stress model in a sample of low-income African American fathers and their toddlers, specifically examining the mediation effect of fathers' engagement (self-report and observed) on the association between parenting stress and children's social competence and problem behavior. We found that fathers reported moderate levels of parenting stress, but we found no evidence of a direct effect of stress on children's social development. However, parenting stress predicted more engagement in management, which predicted children's increased problem behaviour. These findings highlight the effect of fathering stress on specific forms of father engagement that affect toddlers' social development.

Effectively Serving Low-Income Fathers of Color

Though the last decade has demonstrated an increased interest in research on fathers of color, little has been written to aid professionals and policymakers who serve fathers of color. This literature review employs four dynamic conditions—microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem—underlying a socioecological framework to present various key factors influencing the lives of low-income African American and Latino fathers. By integrating multiple levels of thinking about these fathers, we situate our suggestions for effectively engaging these fathers within the reality of these men's diverse contextual and social environments. Discussion also includes best practices and examples of programs to guide professionals and policymakers working to better the lives of families of color.

Low-Income African American Fathers' Involvement in Children's Lives: Implications for Practitioners

ABSTRACT We were interested in how low-income African American fathers of 12-year-old children in families identified as high risk viewed their role as father. Four focus group discussions involving 19 fathers were conducted. We had four key questions: (1) what the men perceived as the children's needs, (2) how they met those needs, (3) what motivated them to be involved, and (4) what barriers they faced. The fathers emphasized the children's need for love and support, and were concerned about materialism, violence, and promiscuity as they struggled to instill “good” values. They described the challenges of raising children in dangerous environments, and concerns about their daughters and their sexuality. Some men found it difficult to be a parent figure without being the biological father or by not living with the child. Many of their views on parenting were similar to those reported elsewhere by white as well as middle class men. Implications for practitioners are included.

Transitions on the Margins of Work and Family Life for Low-Income African-American Fathers

Few studies explore linked transitions in work and family life for low-income African-American men. I examine patterns of work engagement among three cohorts of fathers and explore how they shape transitions in family residence and dynamics of family life. Establishment of a household was considered a shared project with partners and extended kin networks. Findings indicated that most fathers nested residence in households within sporadic spells of employment. Younger cohorts were less able to secure stable work and family arrangements at early ages, in comparison to older and middle cohorts. Implications for social policy include recognition of family formation beyond marital status, including negotiation of household establishment and arrangements for multiple providers in extended kin networks.

Three-Block Fathers: Spatial Perceptions and Kin-Work in Low-Income African American Neighborhoods

Few studies offer a contextual examination of how fathers experience and perceive local environments, and develop subsequent strategies to enhance paternal involvement. In this qualitative analysis of participant observation and life history interview data on 40 low-income African American fathers in Chicago's South Side, I consider how risky physical and social spaces situate low-income fathers' participation in kin-work systems. I observe ecological processes—including gang activity, police presence, and poverty—that shape men's daily routines in local neighborhoods. Further, I examine how, based upon their perceptions of these processes, fathers delineate dangerous spaces and grow increasingly wary of certain social relationships. Finally, I observe that fathers develop kin-work strategies to secure paternal involvement, which include constructing “three-block” safe spaces for family interaction, relying on paternal kin, making use of neutral spaces, and managing complex negotiations with their children's mothers and maternal kin.

The Involvement of Low-Income African American Fathers in Their Children's Lives, and the Barriers They Face

To examine the involvement of fathers in the lives of low-income African American 8-year-old children, and the barriers they face. The sample was comprised of 117 fathers or father figures of 8-year-olds in families participating in a longitudinal study of child development and maltreatment. The men were asked a series of open-ended questions pertaining to their involvement in the children's lives. Their responses were audiotaped and transcribed. Major themes and subthemes were identified and coded on NVIVO software. The men conveyed a strong sense of commitment to the children, identifying many issues reported by white and middle class men, such as providing support and affection and teaching values and skills. They raised the need to protect the children and help take care of them when sick, some adding that they did not feel confident doing so. They saw discipline as one of their roles, but described this as difficult for them. The men faced challenges of not having financial resources, not living with the child, and lacking knowledge or skills. This group of fathers appears to be clearly committed to their children, despite significant challenges. There are a variety of ways that pediatricians can help facilitate their positive involvement in children's lives, and they may well contribute to the health and development of such high-risk children.

COMMENTARY: Black Women's Desires for “Traditional” Marriages

Anthropology NewsVolume 45, Issue 5 p. 18-18 COMMENTARY: Black Women's Desires for “Traditional” Marriages Inez Adams, Inez Adams Michigan State Inez Adams is a Doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University. She is currently a Research Assistant at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center. Adams co-authored, Low-income African American Fathers' Perceptions and Experiences in a Fatherhood Support Program (In press—Sociological Practice).Search for more papers by this author Inez Adams, Inez Adams Michigan State Inez Adams is a Doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University. She is currently a Research Assistant at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center. Adams co-authored, Low-income African American Fathers' Perceptions and Experiences in a Fatherhood Support Program (In press—Sociological Practice).Search for more papers by this author First published: 07 July 2009 https://doi.org/10.1111/an.2004.45.5.18 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume45, Issue5May 2004Pages 18-18 RelatedInformation

Low-Income African American Fathers' Perceptions and Experiences in a Fatherhood Support Program

We describe the experiences and perceptions of low-income African American fathers enrolled in a fatherhood support program delivered by mentor fathers. Data were collected through focus groups. Client fathers' key motivations for enrolling in the program were improving parenting skills through mentor and peer support. Satisfaction with provider-client interaction (father-to-father) was key, highlighting the important aspect of mentoring for continued program participation. Key program outcomes were improved child and co-parenting relationships. Client fathers had a specific set of psychosocial issues, which they needed addressed. More information is needed to advance the conceptualization of factors associated with low-income African American fathers' lives and their co-parenting roles.

Correlates of Low-Income African American and Puerto Rican Fathers' Involvement with Their Children

Determinants offathers 'involvement with theirchildren were examined in a study of 60 low-income African American and 25 low-income Puerto Rican men residing with their children in two-parent families. Allfathers had at least one preschool-age child in Head Start. The variables measured were the father's accessibility, direct interaction, play, outings, reading, and responsibility for children in Head Start. The findings showed that higher levels of paternal involvement with children were negatively related to the father's self-esteem and positively related to maternal employment, mothers' hours in paid work and school, family income, and paternal nurturance. The study concluded that a combination of sociostructural, psychological, and parenting skillfactors influences the involvement of African American and Puerto Rican fathers with their children.

A Preliminary Study of Low-Income African American Fathers' Play Interactions with Their Preschool-Age Children

This study examined the play interactions of 33 low-income African American fathers with their preschool-age children. The father's self-esteem was found to be highly correlated with professional raters' observations of paternal responsiveness to the child, developmental appropriateness of his play interactions, and use of positive control strategies.

African American Males and Fatherhood: Issues in Research and Practice

Research on African American males is relatively recent and scant, and focuses typically on discussions that both characterize and put these males at risk, either as learners in school or as adolescent or absent fathers. While the actual discourses may vary slightly, discussions in the field range from controversial debates about single-gender schools and all-male educational academies (Garibaldi, 1988; Leake & Leake, 1992), to studies about the unavailability or inaccessibility of opportunity structures, irrespective of educational attainment (Anderson, 1990; Ferguson, 1992; Sum & Fogg, 1990). Studies focusing specifically on declining labor market opportunities point to the dire economic and social plights experienced by disproportionately high numbers of African American males and the difficulties they face in gaining access to higher education and well-paying employment. With increasing regularity, research and practice alike highlight the trauma these problems portend for the welfare of African American children and families. They also demonstrate the ways in which these obstacles embed themselves within the school and work lives of young African American men and fathers. Many of the programs that attempt to support African American males do so outside of schools. The programs and the males in them have not been a major focus of research efforts, nor have they contributed much in terms of research data to policy discussions about the experiences and needs of African American males. Despite increasing public discussions about problems facing African American males, research on African American boys and men pales in comparison to negative public perception of them as perpetrators of crime and violence. Policy discussions, while they do not always identify African American males as a source of the problem, repeatedly suggest that African American males are inherently irresponsible, erratic in behavior, and unable to assume the responsibilities of employment or fatherhood. In addition, current welfare reform efforts and criminal justice measures have wide-ranging implications for these men relative to the economic support that they can provide to their families, their involvement in informal and often illegal economies to make such contributions, their high potential for incarceration, and the emotional impact of their absence on the lives of their children. A small niche of effort, developed around and in support of practice, attempts to attend to these issues by assisting young fathers in handling the complexities of daily life and assuming responsibility for parenting and employment. As is true of any movement or effort, however, the missions and purposes of the groups and programs involved differ, sometimes vastly. For example, several such efforts often attribute young African American fathers' problems to the rapidity with which changes in family formation patterns have occurred, connecting this development to the erosion of family Many do not acknowledge family forms outside of marriage and center their efforts on preserving mainstream notions of traditional family values. The emphasis in many programs is on increasing the number of intact nuclear families (father and mother married to each other with children living in the same household), and not necessarily on ameliorating the structures that reduce opportunities for individuals to create and preserve their own unique beliefs and values about familyhood. Issues of unemployment, poverty, and discrimination generally lie outside the boundaries of these efforts, as do arguments about the effects of parents' emotional absence on strained relationships or physical absence due to economic stress. A variety of other programs exist, many of which address issues of social welfare among low-income African American fathers and their families. Some of these programs promote co-parenting strategies between young fathers and mothers. Others attempt to assist only the men, viewing this approach as a first intervention strategy to working with entire families. …