The Involvement of Young Men in Fathering: What Their Own Fathers Taught Them

Renata Forste, Brigham Young University
Rebecca Allen, Brigham Young University

Drawing upon both quantitative and qualitative data, this study examines the relationship between the contact young men had with their own fathers during their teens, and their own involvement with children they have fathered. Past research argues that young men have fewer role models of positive fathering, yet many new fathers desire to be good parents to their children. Quantitative analyses are based on data from the National Survey of Adolescent Males and model the effect of family structure and father contact at age 14 on parenting by young fathers as reported in 1995. Qualitative research draws upon in-depth interviews with 37 low-income, single fathers and explores how single men define fathering and their role as parents in relation to the role modeling they received from their own fathers.