PARENTINg - Runnymede Trust

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Second, the value of fatherhood is
not simply financial: there are many
non-economic aspects of fatherhood.
Fathers do not fill a unidimensional role
in their families and in their children’s
eyes; there are a number of significant
roles and a variety of reasons for paternal
involvement. Variations in the definition
of fatherhood are often the product of
subcultural and cultural factors, rather
than of individual characteristics. Most
men set goals that reflect their recollection
of their childhood, choosing either to
compensate for their fathers’ deficiencies
or to emulate them. Parental involvement
can be determined by their own personal
motivation, skills, self-confidence in the
role of parent, and support, especially
support within the family from the mother.
Ethnographic publications have charted
the myriad barriers confronted by
black men in the urban ghetto, and
the likely effect on the economic and
non-economic aspects of fatherhood.
Low-income African American men even
face barriers in being acknowledged
as the parent of one’s child without the
intervention of the legal system.
The absence of the father may be the
chief characteristics of the father–child
relationship, but other barriers include
the father’s failure to provide for his family
and the quality of the mother–father
relationship. In All Our Kin, Carol Stack
explains the complex nature of the
fathering role, community, and kinship
relationships. She notes that the more
a father and his kin assist a mother
and the child, the more he validates his
parental rights (Stack, 1974). Together
these publications show the patterns that
men develop within their communities
to maintain a relationship with their
child(ren).
Conclusion
There are some indications that the
stereotypical characterisation of black
fathers as non-existent, sexual predators,
and non-involved persons is being
challenged. In terms of policy and
legislation, this year, a US Supreme Court
case (Turner v Rogers) discussed the
issue of due process and the provision of
counsel for an indigent client when a civil
case that could result in incarceration
was being heard. Mr. Turner had past due
arrears of child support and was placed
in jail for over six months. The Supreme
Court determined that his due process
constitutional rights were violated and
References
that states needed to review the policy
for indigent non-custodial parents owing
child support and the enforcement tactic
of incarceration.
While this case is some grounds
for optimism, ‘fatherhood’ policy
remains primarily punitive, especially
for non-custodial African American
men. Only modest employment and
training efforts have been offered to
non-custodial fathers. Unfortunately, the
narrow ‘breadwinner’ vision of fatherhood
is not limited to policy makers. Perhaps
surprisingly, social scientists have only
recently recognised the importance of
a father’s emotional involvement with his
child(ren).
As long as society maintains the
‘breadwinner’ role as the primary role
for successful fathering in America,
African American fathers will be further
disadvantaged by policies and so be
less likely to overcome the long-term
effects of slavery and current institutional
racism.
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Gutman, H. (1976). The New Black Family in Slavery and Freedom: 1750–1925.
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Johnson, E., A. Levine, and F.C. Doolittle. (1999). Fathers’ Fair Share: Helping
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Lamb, M. E. (1997). “Introduction,” in M.E. Lamb (ed.)The Role of the Father in
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National Vital Statistics Reports (2010) 59(1).
Sorensen, E. and C. Zibman (2000). To What Extent Do Children Benefit from
Child Support? Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Available at:
Stack, C. (1974). All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community. New
York: Harper and Row.
Waller, M.R. and R. Plotnick (2001) ‘Effective Child Support Policy for
Low-Income Families: Evidence from Street-Level Research’, Journal of Policy
Analysis and Management 20: 89–110.
24 | RUNNYMEDE BULLETIN | Autumn 2011 / issue 367 www.runnymedetrust.org