It is time to embark on a deep dive into fatherhood, and to acknowledge and enhance men’s unique contributions to family life.
When we talk about fathers, this includes birth fathers, step-fathers, adoptive fathers, single fathers, adolescent fathers, fathers of children with special needs, gay and bisexual fathers, trans fathers, non-resident fathers (as a result of work travel, military deployment, or incarceration), and fathers raising children as a result of artificial reproductive technologies.
The reality is that fatherhood plays a central role in a man’s identity, which is why I began The Father Center in 1987, after years of studying fathers in graduate school, and at the point in my life when I first became a father myself.
At The Father Center, we investigate the role of men as co-parents, discuss non-traditional family norms, and recognize the rich possibilities of more flexibly defining what it means to be a family.
We create space for new perspectives, new paradigms, and new possibilities when it comes to what it means to be a dad.
We explore father-friendly policies, programs, and interventions, and how media representations of fathers may influence men’s (and women’s) childrearing beliefs and behaviors.
All of this requires us to re-examine our definitions of fatherhood and consider the multi-dimensional nature of masculine identities. We can and should move past talk of toxic masculinity and misguided beliefs regarding men’s ability to nurture, and instead focus on the ways in which fathers can and do provide essential psychological nutrients, and the caring, compassionate presence, that children need in order to grow and thrive.