Skip to main content

Fathers in Families

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy
  • 8 Accesses

Name of Concept

Fathers in families

Introduction

Fathers in families remain a complex and dynamic concept reflecting the variability and diversity of today’s family structures and changing roles and expectations for men as parents. At the same time that the historical narrative of fathers as breadwinners and heads of married households has expanded to include single fathers, gay fathers, and at-home fathers, new generations of men are experiencing changing expectations in father involvement. While still spending less time than mothers across many household and family tasks, time-use studies show that fathers today spend significantly more time with direct child care than previous generations. Still, many fathers report a perceived deficit in their skills for effective parenting, particularly men who grew up with insufficient role modeling or hands-on experiences providing child care. It is important to note, however, that while many men may lack the experience and more formal training...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 999.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Good, G. E., Gilbert, L. A., & Scher, M. (1990). Gender-aware therapy; a synthesis of feminist therapy and knowledge about gender. Journal of Counseling and Development, 68, 376–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kilmartin, C., & Smiler, A. P. (2015). The masculine self (5th ed.). Cornwall on Hudson: Sloan Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, M. E. (2012). Mothers, fathers, families, and circumstances: Factors affecting children’s adjustment. Applied Developmental Science, 16(2), 98–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levant, R. F. (1995). Masculinity reconstructed: Changing the rules of manhood – At work, in relationships, and in family life. New York: Penguin Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahalik, J. R., Good, G. E., Tager, D., Levant, R. F., & Mackowiak, C. (2012). Developing a taxonomy of helpful and harmful practices for clinical work with boys and men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59(4), 591–603.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McKelley, R. M., & Rochlen, A. B. (2015). Furthering fathering: What we know and what we need to know. In Y. J. Wong & S. F. Wester (Eds.), APA handbook of men and masculinities. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oren, C. Z., & Oren, D. C. (2010). Counseling fathers. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pleck, J. H. (2013). Foreword. In D. W. Shwalb, B. J. Shwalb, & M. E. Lamb (Eds.), Fathers in cultural context (pp. xiv–xix). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rochlen, A. B., & Rabinowitz, F. E. (Eds.) (2015). Breaking barriers in counseling men: Insights and innovations. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ryan A. McKelley .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Section Editor information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

McKelley, R.A. (2019). Fathers in Families. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_528

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics