Men in families: When do they get involved? What difference does it make?

Focusing on the roles of fathers and husbands in families, this text examines varying research results. Whilst some studies show that fathers have small effects on child development, others suggest no effects, or that men's primary function is that of the provider. Part 1 Men's Roles in Families - a Look Back, a Look Forward: From Patriarchy to Androgyny and Other Myths - Placing Men's Roles in Historical Perspective, S. Mintz; The Invisible Man Revisited - Comments on the Life Course, History and Men's Roles in American Families, L.M. Burton and A.R. Synder; On the Flexibility of Fatherhood, A.J. Cherlin; Fatherhood Then and Now, M.E. Lamb. Part 2 Men's Investment in Parenthood: Human Parental Investment and Fertility - the Life Histories of Men in Albuquerque, H.S. Kaplan et al; Who Should Fathers Father?, P. Draper; In Search of a Theory - Men's Fertility and Parental Investment