The Founding Fathers What Does It Mean To Be A Man

The role of the father, a male figure in a child’s life is a very crucial role that has been diminishing over the years. An absent father can be defined in two ways; the father is physically not present, or the father is physically present, but emotionally present. To an adolescent, a father is an idolized figure, someone they look up to (Feud, 1921), thus when such a figure is an absent one, it can and will negatively affect a child’s development. Many of the problems we face in society today, such as crime and delinquency, poor academic achievement, divorce, drug use, early pregnancy and sexual activity can be attributed to fathers being absent during adolescent development (Popenoe, 1996; Whitehead, 1993). The percentage of

Throughout literary history, authors have categorized mothers as nurturing, critical, and caring; works of literature characterize fathers, however, as providers who must examples for their children and embrace their protective, “fatherly” instincts. However, many works’ fathers fall short when it comes to acting the role of the ideal dad. Instead of being there for their children, they are away and play very miniscule roles in their children’s lives; instead of protecting he actually ends up hurting their kids. Thus, the paternal literary lens tries to determine whether or not the work’s father figure fits the “perfect father” archetype. This lens questions whether or not the father figure is his children’s active example, provider, and

Although single parenthood is on the rise in homes today, children still often have a father role in their life. It does not matter who the part is filled by: a father, uncle, older brother, grandfather, etc...; in almost all cases, those relationships between the father (figure) and child have lasting impacts on the youth the rest of their lives. In “I Wanted to Share My Father’s World,” Jimmy Carter tells the audience no matter the situation with a father, hold onto every moment.

Some scholars have argued the notion that fathers are important contributors to their children and adolescents’ psychosocial development (Mandara, Murray, & Joyner, 2005). According to Allgood, Beckert, and Peterson (2012), researchers are beginning to understand the importance of examining children’s perspectives and the relationships and levels of involvement children have with their fathers.

The estranged relationships between father and son tend to start from lack of communication. Fathers express their love through actions rather than words. When conflicts occur, they are unlikely to explain themselves, which leads to greater complications. In addition, fathers are often absent in the child’s youth for reasons such as work. However, absent fathers can have great influence on the child.

Standing Tall It is the human condition to be dependent upon others; this has always been so. Humans look up to siblings, best friends, grandparents, and even teachers but the most sought out dependency in life is in the form of a father. Much is expected from the male gender, but moreso of fathers. A father’s predetermined role in society is to make the decisions for, protect, and keep order in his home.

There is no denial that fathers are integral members of our society. According to the US. Census Beurea, 1 in 4 children in the country live without fathers. This lack of domestic stability leaves them disproportionately susceptible to substance abuse, gang violence, premature parenthood, poverty, and suicide. The question then remains: “What defines a father?”.

Since the time of Adam and Eve, parents have played a major role in upbringing children and reproducing more generations. In most societies, the father has been the backbone of the family and played a major role in providing support and stability to the family. Yet, the role of the father differs from a family to another. While some fathers focus only on feeding and educating their children, others focus on every aspect of their children’s lives. The father’s leadership often drives the children to have a close relationship with the father. Sons often see the father as their role model and build a father-son relationship. Yet, the father-son relationship can be either weak or strong depends on the father’s concept of parenthood. The

James Baldwin once said, “If the relationship of father to son could really be reduced to biology, the whole earth would blaze with the glory of fathers and sons”. A father has a responsibility to teach his son how to live morally and face the hardships of life. However, the distant father who was never involved in his son’s life is a common theme seen throughout literature. A father’s role in shaping his son is both impactful and pivotal. Often boys will grow up to be just like their dads. While super heroes and famous sports stars can be seen as key role models for boys growing up, they don’t compare to effect a father can have as a role model. When thinking about the choices people make it 's important to go back and figure out what lead to that decision.

The father’s role in a family has always been one of strengths and stability for the family. In pass history the father were there to be the disciplinary force for the children and to instill moral values for the kids to live by, but yet this has not been the case for some. With the absence of the father, sons and daughters have been looking for leadership elsewhere and sometimes that leadership will get them incarcerated. (A study was done by the U.S Government called,” What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities”, where it found that 70% of juveniles come from fatherless homes. Just think on that for a minute, 70% of the juveniles could’ve never been there if a father had been in their life. Instead they could have been going to school and graduating, to go on in life with a bright future ahead of them.

A father and son relationship is very important. It is the foundation for boys to become men. The article, “Why the Father Wound Matter: Consequences for Male Mental Health and the Father-Son Relationship”, by Eric D. Miller explains the concept of a father wound that can manifest in males due to a father neglecting or abusing them. Miller stresses that by becoming fathers’, men can overcome father wounds. He touches upon the idea of masculinity, and how it can be a factor to why there is sometimes a distant relationship between a father and a son. The “A Father’s Call: Father-Son Relationship Survival of Critical Life Transitions”, by Ivory Achebe Toldson and Ivory Lee Toldson explains the relationship between a father and a son from adolescent into adulthood. Lee who was the father describes his struggles through a divorce and how he stayed connected to his son no matter what occurred. Lee’s son Achehbe is also featured in the article and expresses the rough childhood he went through without his father being directly in his life. Together these two articles show that a father is essential to the raising of a boy because without one many form father wounds along with emotional problems.

In most magazines nearly 16 percent of articles included fathers. ‘The influences of the fathers were ignored” according to Rohner (2002) fathers were urged to participate in the discipline of their children, and in their daughter sex education, in fact fathers were viewed as their son’s role model and a husband model for their daughters. According to Rohner (2002). The Culture of fathers in America is placed on one’s behavior, and to understand the culture of fatherhood, one has to understand its counterpart. According to Rohner (2002). The mother according to society elicits a warm, nurturing feeling where the term father elicits masculinity, feelings of being less affectionate, emotionless, rigid and tough. Americans often shared those ideologies;

Father has been viewed as presented in a variety of different images to describe the script that they have been fulfilling. They have variously been presented as, normal observer, breadwinner, sex role model, and nurturing the most severe trauma that a child can suffer. The loss of parents causes so many problems that a deprived child faces, among those problems the important problem is the effects on academic performance of children. Although father absence did not seem to have consistent effects on children's intellectual, which are “more difficult to change than non-cognitive skills and behaviors,” there is consistent evidence that father absence lowers children's educational attainment and decreases the likelihood that they will graduate from high school. Workers without high school diplomas experience very high levels of unemployment and make less money than more educated workers, so failing to finish high school places young people at a major disadvantage in life.

In the United States fatherless homes have become more prevalent and some may even refer to it as a growing trend. The National Center for Fathering mentions that over twenty million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father, and millions more live have a father who is physically present but not emotionally (“National Center for Fathering” n.d.). The importance of a father figure in a child’s life is critical for healthy child development and subsequently leads to a better adult life. Children’s early experiences and the connections they create with their parents are impactful and ultimately shape who they become as an adult.

By having a father in the home it enables the child to see a masculine role inside the home. The father’s role is not to act as an authoritarian for the mother for punishment, but to also give the child love.