Bibliographies
The following bibliography has been compiled from the Australian Family & Society Abstracts database and other resources held in the Institute's library. Where available a link to the document on the Web is provided. Most items can be borrowed from the Institute's library via the inter library loan system. Online publications in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Fathers
Being Dad to a child under two: Exploring
images and visions of fatherhood: evolving expectations
in a changing society.
Perth, WA: Ngala Family Resource Centre, 2003, 114p,
figures, tables
This interagency report was commissioned in response
to a lack of research about what fathers do in the
first two years of their children's life. Twenty two
Perth fathers were asked what they expected of parenthood,
where these expectations came from, what they do as
fathers, and what they envisioned for their future.
Nineteen Perth mothers were asked what they expected
of their children's father, what he does, and how they
see his future as a father. The findings of partnered
and sole parents are presented separately. Issues arising
from the findings include: parenting structures; collaboration
and conflict in relationships and separation; marriage;
demographic and socio economic considerations; social
support and kinship capital; father absence; further
research possibilities and social policy strategies.
Childcare,
violence and fathering - are violent fathers
who look after their children, likely to be
less abusive? (PDF 219 KB)
Harne, L
In: Poverty, Violence and Women's Rights: Setting
a Global Agenda - Townsville International Women's
Conference, July 2002 - Conference papers. Sydney,
NSW: Australian Domestic Violence Clearinghouse,
2002, 11p, Online only
This paper reports findings from an exploratory
qualitative study with 20 fathers who had been identified
as domestically violent and were separated or divorced
from their partners. The sample was drawn from men
who volunteered to be interviewed and were attending
perpetrator programs in different geographical areas
of England. Most of these fathers had contact with
their children in the post-separation context. The
main method used was semi-structured depth interviews
and these were supplemented with violence and abuse
indexes to assess the extent of the men's violence.
One of the aims of this research was to explore
the way violent fathers conceptualised their relationships
with their children when they were still living
with them and their experiences and views about
contact in the post separation context. Another
salient area in the interviews was to explore men's
perceptions of their roles and responsibilities
as fathers and to find out how much they were involved
in child care when living with partners. A separate
sample of ten mothers who had experienced domestic
violence from partners and whose children were having
ongoing contact post separation were also interviewed
about their ex-partner's fathering practices to
provide comparative perspectives.
Developing
work with men in family relationships: Future
directions for policy and practice. (PDF 30 KB)
Burgess, Adrienne
In: Papers from the 2004 National Men and Family
Relationships Forum. Deakin West, ACT: Family Services
Australia, 2004, 5p, Online only
Drawing on the paradigm for father involvement developed
by Lamb and Oppenheim, this paper discusses a shift
in beliefs towards men's involvement with their
children. The paper first explains the relevance
of the four domains identified by Lamb and Oppenheim;
that is, institutional practices, motivation, skills
and self confidence, and support. It then argues
for the benefits of accepting the notion of fathers
as equal partners in parenting.
Does father care mean fathers share? A
comparison of how mothers and fathers in intact
families spend time with children.
Craig, Lyn
Gender and Society v.20 no.2 Apr 2006: 259-281,
tables
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Time
Use Survey 1997 is used to determine how much time
men and women spend caring for their children. The
study also examines the quality and type of care.
It looks at time spent in direct care or double
activity; task allocation, comparing physical tasks
such as nappy changing with reading to or playing
with children; and proportion of total time in sole
charge of children.
The
effects of father involvement: An updated research
summary of the evidence inventory (PDF 828 KB)
Allen, Sarah; Daly, Kerry
Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being,
University of Guelph July 2007
Engaging fathers in child and family services: Participation, perceptions and good practice.
Berlyn, C., Wise, S., & Soriano, G. (2008).
Canberra: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Australia.
This report was produced as part of the National Evaluation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy (SFCS), by staff from the Australian Institute of Family Studies. This study describes father participation in selected SFCS programs and services and identifies successful strategies for engaging with fathers. The research employed a mixed methodology: a survey of SFCS program managers on father engagement and in-depth fieldwork with a sample of selected services and programs. Service managers and facilitators participated in one-on-one interviews, and focus groups were held with father participants.
Engaging fathers in group work: Creating
cooperative environments.
King, A
Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family
Work Journal no.1 Winter 2001: 30-37, tables
The generative fathering framework is a model for
understanding the non deficit approach to fathering.
This approach proposes that most men take an active
interest in the lives of their children. In this
paper, the author develops the non deficit perspective
which argues that fathers are interested in family
life, and that their engagement with support services
is influenced by a variety of pressures within their
life. These pressure include 'generative chill',
a type of anxiety resulting from a perceived or
real danger of losing one's child or children, life
crises such as separation and divorce, and juggling
life demands. The paper is based on the experiences
at a Fathers' Centre in Western Sydney where fathers
access crisis counselling or group programs.
Engaging
fathers: The challenges for child welfare practice.
Featherstone, Brid.
In: Challenging practices: Conference on International
Research Perspectives on Child and Family Welfare,
Mackay, Queensland, 6-8 August 2005: conference
papers. Mackay, Qld: Centre for Research on Community
and Childrens' Services, 2005, 17p, Online
A lot of recent policy attention has been focused
on fathers and fatherhood in a number of western
countries. This paper discusses the change in policy
during the late 1980s and early 1990s in the United
Kingdom and examines the policy implications for
child welfare. It considers the demands from fathers'
organisations; some of the themes from research
on fathers and some observations on current research;
what is known about fathers in families who come
to attention of child welfare services; fathers
and the maltreatment of children; fathers and help
seeking by children; and some of the key challenges
for child welfare practitioners in seeking to engage
fathers.
Fatherhood research in Australia: Research
report.
Fletcher, Richard; Fairbairn, Hedy; Pascoe, Sue.
Calligan, NSW: Family Action Centre, University
of Newcastle, 2004, 148p
The Engaging Fathers project at the University of
Newcastle initiated the Fatherhood Research in Australia
Report to make available a description of recent
research on fathers in Australian populations. The
aim of the project was to: a) Describe the knowledge
base available to support policies, programs and
practices addressing fathers' contribution to families;
b) Initiate links between researchers from dfferent
disciplines who are examining aspects of fatherhood;
c) Encourage future research on families to include
fathers as a core componenet; and d) Identify research
to support early intervention with fathers. The
report explains the study methodology and presents
information on the demography of Australian fathers.
It then discusses the findings in the following
sections: family formation; fathers and child development;
fathers and family separation; work and family balance;
fathers of young adults; illness; fathers with an
illness or substance abuse; culturally and linguistically
diverse fathers; and gay fathers. It looks at information
about fathers in the Household, Income and Labour
Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, the Longitudinal
Study of Australian Children (LSAC), and the Negotiating
the Life Course Survey, and at research on program
and service development and effectiveness. The report
identifies the following individual researchers
that have expertise in different aspects of fatherhood
- Professor Colin Binns, Dr Robyn Dolby, Professor
John Condon, Professor David de Krester, Joye McLaughlin,
Dr Jan Nicholson, Em. Professor Pat Noller, Margot
Northey, Shawn Phillips, and Bruce Smyth, and papers
by some of them are included.
Fathering
and children. (PDF 776 KB)
Sullivan, R
Family Matters no.58 Autumn 2001: 45-51, and Online
No amount of longing for the imagined 'good old
days', where family members had clearly defined
roles, can make such a world happen again. Boys
and young men live in complex cultural contexts
where experiences of what it means to be a male
and a father are rich and diverse. This paper aims
to clarify some of these issues by exploring the
concepts of 'father' and 'fathering' and the sources
of information that impact on construction of these
concepts. It discusses a range of recent research
and writing in Australia and the United States which
has been used to frame the Focus on Fathering Project,
conducted by the Queensland Commission for Children
and Young People.
Fathering roles, responsibilities and
barriers: Men speak out.
Howard, Sue; McBride, Noelene; Hardy, Fotina
In: Sullivan, Robin, ed. Focus on fathering. Camberwell, Vic: Australian
Council for Educational Research, 2003, p1-16, tables
From
2000 to 2002, the Queensland Commission for Children and Young People
undertook an initiative to raise awareness on fathering issues and to
promote positive fathering. In 2000 a research study on fatherhood in
Australia was conducted, with a focus on the perceptions of men regarding
the fathering role. The authors describe the study, in which 105
Queensland fathers who were participating in men's support groups
completed a survey questionnaire. They discuss the findings in relation
to the men's perceptions of role responsibility, patterns of paternal
investment, perceived barriers to good fathering, other barriers to
fathering, and ways in which fathers could be supported.
Fathers' connection to their infants.
Fletcher, Richard
Threshold no.87 Jul 2006: 32-33
Expectations of fathers have changed, and many fathers in Australia today
are facing role confusion. This article discusses working with new
fathers and exploring their hopes for themselves as fathers, their role
models, and father infant attachment.
Fathers: Exploring the voices of children
and young people.
Howard, Sue; Curtin, Pamela; Hardy, Fotina
In: Sullivan, Robin, ed. Focus on fathering. Camberwell, Vic: Australian
Council for Educational Research, 2003, p35-54
There are few
studies that explore the views of children and young people on fathering,
the authors say. In 2000 - 2002, the Queensland Commission for Children
and Young People undertook an initiative to raise awareness on fathering
issues and promote appropriate fathering skills. The authors describe the
background and analyse the entries of one of the strategies, a Father's
Day competition held in 2000. Common themes that were mentioned in the
entries were: sharing time with Dad; father's work; father's qualities;
love and affection; non resident fathers; relationship issues; and
fathers as role models.
Fathers: Important, unique or uniquely
important.
Frey, Ron
In: Sullivan, Robin, ed. Focus on fathering.
Camberwell, Vic: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2003,
p55-71
A father's contribution to his children's development,
that is, ongoing care and nurturing, can and should be the same as the
contribution made by females, the author argues. He departs from the
accepted wisdom that suggests that the nature of fathering is very
different from mothering. He considers the male's contribution to
parenting from three standpoints: important, unique and uniquely
important; and discusses fathering versus parenting, the male role model,
psychoanalytic views of fathering, the mythopoetic view of fathers, and
learning theory.
Fathers:
More than just breadwinners?
Singleton, Andrew
In: Poole, M. ed. Family: changing families, changing
times. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin, 2005, p135-154
How is fatherhood defined in Australian society?
This chapter traces a perceived shift in society's
ideals of fatherhood, from the father as breadwinner
model to the contemporary involved father, while
noting that new father rhetoric is often not matched
by practice. It investigates the relationship between
fathering, domestic labour and paid work, and the
impact of changing family formations on fathering
expectations and obligations. It also examines the
rise of fathers' rights groups and their influence
on family law policy and practice.
The fathers' narratives.
Hardy, Fotina;
Howard, Sue
In: Sullivan, Robin, ed. Focus on fathering.
Camberwell, Vic: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2003,
p17-34
To increase understanding of fatherhood, the
experiences of individual fathers must be listened to and understood, the
authors argue. They present segments from interviews conducted with four
men with diverse fathering experiences. The men discuss: their
circumstances and initial responses to being fathers; their involvement
during the pregnancy; the best and worst things for them about being
fathers and their best and worst memories; what is unique about
fathering; and what being a father means.
Fathers' role
in family services: The Engaging Fathers Project.
Fletcher, Richard
In: Sullivan, Robin, ed.
Focus on fathering. Camberwell, Vic: Australian Council for Educational
Research, 2003, p125-141, tables
The service delivery
interface is largely a woman to woman affair and fathers are rarely
involved, the author says. The Engaging Fathers Project, based at the
University of Newcastle's Family Action Centre, aims to increase fathers'
involvement in their children's lives. The author discusses some general
principles of fathers' involvement, some practical steps for father
involvement, applying narrative ideas to father involvement, and goal
setting as a way to challenge the dominant story.
Fathers'
views on family life and paid work. (PDF 234 KB)
Hand, K; Lewis, V
Family Matters no.61 Autumn 2002: 26-29 and Online (PDF 234 KB)
Do working fathers think they have enough time to
spend with their children? In 2001, the Australian
Institute of Family Studies conducted research commissioned
by the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community
Services which comprised interviews with 47 Melbourne
families about work and family life. As part of
this Family and Work: The Family's Perspective project,
the Talking to Fathers study explores the responses
of 27 fathers from a variety of family types, occupations
and income levels. This article focuses on fathers'
responses about whether they felt that they spent
enough time with their children, the way they like
to spend time with their children, and how they
seek to balance work and family responsibilities.
From little things big things grow: A community
development perspective: on men and family relationships
programs at Bethany Community Support. (PDF 78 KB)
Semmens, Bob.
In: Family Services Australia Conference proceedings
2005. Deakin West, ACT: Family Services Australia,
2005, 14p, Online
The benefits of a community development perspective
on program direction for working with men and their
family relationships are considered, using the example
of the men and family relationships program at Bethany
Community Support in Geelong. The paper outlines
the principles of community development. It discusses
empowerment and advocacy in the context of the men's
program at Bethany, current men's programs at Bethany,
evaluation of practice, and recommendations for
establishing new men and family relationship programs.
The
importance of fathers in the healthy development
of children. (PDF 1.1 MB)
Rosenberg, Jeffrey; Wilcox, W. Bradford
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Administration
for Children and Families, Administration on Children,
Youth and Families, Children's Bureau, Office on
Child Abuse and Neglect, 2006, Online
Written for caseworkers and other professionals
working in child protective services, this manual
provides information about the impact that fathers
have on their children's lives, and offers practical
advice on engaging fathers in assessment, case planning,
and services when children have been abused. The
first section outlines what is known about the relationship
between fathers and their children's health and
welfare, including the role of fathers in the occurrence
and prevention of abuse. The second section provides
guidance on fatherhood programs, presents examples
of existing programs, and outlines various federal
fatherhood initiatives.
Just the two of us: The involvement of
fathers in building stronger families.
Fleming, J
Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family
Work Journal no.4 Winter 2002: 60-70, figures
Fathers have been a neglected area of research and
interest in the area of child and family welfare.
However, they are also often recognised as being
a key to the functioning of the family. This paper
begins by exploring some common themes that have
been identified about fathers in the child and family
literature. It then aims to clarify what are the
realities for fathers and the underlying tensions,
and looks at where fathers are likely to be overlooked
in child and family work. Finally it discusses ways
of developing an alternative framework for working
with fathers.
Mad, bad or just plain sad dads: The relationship
of post separation parenting patterns and grief
on the mental and physical health of fathers.
Owen, Keith
In: Sullivan, Robin, ed.
Focus on fathering. Camberwell, Vic: Australian Council for Educational
Research, 2003, p73-91, tables
An exploration of the research
literature about fathers conducted by the author revealed many gaps. He
reflects on his experiences as a psychologist working with men, and
argues that chronic sorrow is common amongst fathers whose relationships
have broken up. He discusses the nature of post separation parenting,
predictors and patterns of post separation parenting, loss and grief for
separated fathers, the mental and physical health of separated fathers
and implications for parenting.
Men's share of child care: A rural and
urban comparison.
Dempsey, K C
Journal of Family Studies v.6 no.2 Oct 2000: 245-266
Traditionally, caring for children has been principally
women's work. The claim is frequently heard that
men, especially younger men living in the major
cities, are increasingly sharing this load equally
with their wives. It is argued that for this claim
to be proven, it is necessary to show that men not
only assist but share responsibility for most of
the more demanding tasks. When the findings from
a study of a Victorian community (married couples)
made in the 1980s were compared with those from
a Melbourne study made in 1998, it showed that the
Melbourne men were doing more of the particularly
demanding tasks than men in the earlier study. However,
in both contexts women had major responsibility,
and men typically acted as wives' assistants. These
patterns held even when their wives were engaged
in full-time paid work. It is also demonstrated
that in both the urban and rural contexts, men and
women believed that women, rather than men, should
give children primacy. These beliefs were shown
to be common among Australians generally. It is
argued that traditional values such as these are
likely to impede the responsibility for child care
being shared equally in the future. Study limitations
mean that findings may lack generalisability. However,
the major thrust of these findings has been shown
to be corroborated by national surveys using representative
samples. (Journal abstract)
Nonresident
fathers: Missing in action? A preliminary analysis
of a study of Australian nonresident fathers.
(PDF 20 KB)
Hawthorne, B
In: 8th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference,
Melbourne, 12-14 February 2003: proceedings. Melbourne,
Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2003,
8p. Online only
Do today's Australian nonresident fathers sustain
their contact with children over time? Can we bury
the image of the 'deadbeat' or 'Disneyland' nonresident
fathers and accept that many are highly committed
to their paternal role, often in the face of considerable
difficulties? Do legal and social structures encourage
nonresident fathers to nurture their children or
emphasise only economic fathering? To what extent
does the fathers' personality affect their engagement
with children? A recent survey of 260 nonresident
fathers, half of whom also participated in a follow
up interview, found that most take their paternal
responsibilities seriously, have frequent contact
with their children but want to be more involved
with them, and are unhappy about their limited opportunity
to be a significant influence in their children's
lives. Their involvement with children is strongly
associated with the nature of the interparental
relationship and the mothers' attitude towards that
involvement. Those involved with children derive
great satisfaction from their paternal role and
find fatherhood both satisfying and salient. Their
view of the legal system is generally negative and
their attitude towards the Child Support Scheme
critical. Fathers' personalities seems to have little
impact on their continued engagement with children.
(Author abstract)
The nuts and bolts of kids and schools:
A parenting course for fathers of school-aged
children.
Bright, Ken; Pascoe,
Sue; D'Arcy, Craig; Silberberg, Simone; Fletcher, Richard
Callaghan, NSW: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, 2005, 91p,
figures
Fathers are starting to become more involved in the
development and education of their children. This guide is for
facilitators of The Nuts and Bolts of Kids and Schools, a short course
for fathers and father figures who care for school aged children. The
guide explains the development and objectives of the course and how it
operates. It then details the course's six sessions: The strengths of
dads; Communication: does it work for me and my family?; Fathers in the
school and community; Resilience and positive interactions with your
child; Child protection; Great, we've come a long way: now where to from
here? The guide includes resources and handouts.
Postseparation fathering: What does
Australian research tell us?
Smyth, Bruce M.
Journal of Family Studies v.10 no.1 Apr 2004: 20-49
This article summarises Australian research into
separated and divorced fathering. It attempts to
take stock of what is known in order to identify
research gaps for the development of a forward-looking
research agenda. The author's hope is that the piece
will encourage more considered empirical attention
to postseparation fathering.
The 'quiet revolution' amongst men: Developing
the practice of working with men in family relationships.
King, Andrew.
Children Australia v.30 no.2 2005: 33-37
This article reviews the development of men and
family relationship services in Australia from a
practice perspective. Significant milestones in
increasing the range and diversity of services for
men have been achieved since 1998, when the first
national Men and Family Relationships Conference
was held in Canberra. Eight principles for successful
practice in working with men are identified, along
with the challenges faced by the sector. (Journal
abstract)
Relationships between men and their children.
Sullivan, Robin
In: Sullivan, Robin, ed. Focus on fathering.
Camberwell, Vic: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2003,
p211-231
Definitions of fatherhood are complex and
multidimensional. The author considers changing notions of what 'father'
means and discusses changes to the family, the social construction of
fatherhood, influences on fathering, perceptions of the father child
relationship and father involvement.
Relationships
of children in stepfamilies with their non-resident
fathers. (PDF 294 KB)
Smith, Marjorie.
Family Matters no.67 Autumn 2004: 28-35, and Online
The number of children living in stepfamilies is
increasing. Most of these children have another
parent (usually the father) who is not resident
in the household but with whom they have some contact.
Children's views of the frequency of this contact,
and the quality of father-child and other family
relationships were explored in a recent study undertaken
in the UK between 1998 and 2002. 'The Study of Stepchildren
and Step-parenting', is reported on in this article.
Report of the Select
Committee on the Status of Fathers in South Australia (PDF 1.6 MB).
South Australia. Parliament. Select Committee on the Status of Fathers in
South Australia
Adelaide, SA: Parliament of South Australia, 2005,
89p, tables, figure.
A Select Committee
was appointed by the South Australian Parliament to investigate the
following aspects of the status of fathers in South Australia: the level
of recognition and support for the role of fathers in family formation
and child rearing; economic, social, financial, legal and health
difficulties facing fathers in the formation and maintenance of the
family unit; the availability of government and nongovernment support and
services for fathers in crisis; ways in which the status of fathers and
the support for fathers in crisis can be improved. The report discusses
the submissions received by the Committee, and contains its
recommendations.
The
role of fathers in the care and protection of
children.
Hickman, D
Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter v.11 no.1 Winter
2003: 14-16, and Online
The author argues that fathers play a significant
role in the care and protection of their children.
As part of child protection, social work practice
needs constantly to adjust to the changing context
of fathers in Australian families. This requires
social work agencies to be aware of men's needs
and their perceptions of parenting to make support
services accessible and attractive to fathers. Further
to this, social work agency interventions must be
structured around evidence based practices that
replace 'good intentions' with proven strategies.
The involvement of fathers in the care and protection
of their children demands that policies and programs
are accessible, effective and relevant.
Supporting young fathers: Examples of promising practice
Sherriff, Nigel
Brighton, UK : Trust for the Study of Adolescence,
2007.
This book offers an opportunity to see how young fathers projects and other agencies delivering services for young fathers from around England have approached their work with young men. It conveys the voices of those working with young fathers, and explores how practitioners can most effectively be helped on the often complex and difficult issues they have to deal with.
The transition to fatherhood: The level
of first-time fathers' involvement and strength
of bonding with their infants.
Habib, Cherine; Lancaster, Sandra J.
Journal of Family Studies v.11 no.2 Oct 2005: 249-266
The aim of this study was to describe the level
of involvement and psychological bonding of a sample
of Australian first-time fathers with their 6-month-old
infants. Involvement was defined in terms of fathers'
engagement, accessibility, and responsibility. Sixty-one
men completed a time-diary interview protocol, a
responsibility scale, and a postnatal bonding scale.
Predictably, fathers were more involved on non-workdays,
than workdays but the extent of the difference depended
on the type of involvement. Fathers' share of the
responsibility for their infant was a little less
than mothers' share. Similar and contrasting findings
with recent local and international large-scale
studies are discussed. Paternal involvement and
bonding were shown to be different dimensions of
fathering, adding to the idea of a multidimensional
conceptualisation of fathering. Further research
avenues are suggested.
Who are the fathers?
McVeigh, Carol
In:
Sullivan, Robin, ed. Focus on fathering. Camberwell, Vic: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2003, p175-190, tables
Little is known about the fathers of babies born to teenage mothers and
what role they play in raising the children. The author presents the
results of a literature review on this subject along with the results of
a Queensland study that examined teenage parents. She also discusses
suggested future directions for research, educational program development
and legislative reform.
Workplace program
to support separating fathers goes national after
pilot success.
Khalilizadeh, Azadeh
Current Family Law v.12 no.5 Nov 2006: 245-246
Family separation can affect employee productivity.
The Commonwealth government's Staying Connected
program is designed to support separated fathers
in the workplace and reduce staff turnover, absenteeism,
lost productivity and workplace accidents. The program
and the results to date are summarised here.