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African-American Adolescent Fathers

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African- American Adolescent Fathers Nearly half of minors living in the U.S are living in a home with heterosexual parents in their first marriage. In 1990, there were 1.2 million out-of-wedlock births out of 4 million total. These high rates of marital instability can have significant implications for the father-child relationship. Furstenberg and Harris (Furstenberg & Harris, 1992, p. 104) claim that African-American fathers, who have become fathers during adolescence, have shifted their focus from being the primary financial supporter to becoming a willing parent, more involved with their child’s growth and development (Furstenberg & Harris, 1992, p. 199). In this paper, I will propose a possible explanation to why young fathers may …show more content…

Biological father consists of the male genetic contributor to the creation of the baby. Legal father is a recognized by the law as the father of the child (i.e. step parent or adoptive parent). Willing parent are grandparents or relatives that nurture the orphans. In the early 1900s, social scientists have concentrated on families that lack the male’s biological kinship to the child as opposed to the universally accepted maternal kin (Furstenberg & Harris, 1992, p. 197). As a man raising his children, married or not, Grace Massey explains that they are, “expected to ‘prove’ their manhood through providing the primary economic support of their families and the lack of means to play this role puts ‘manhood’ for Black men at risk” (1991, p. …show more content…

(Smith, 1988, p. 270). High homicide rates, high suicide rates, few job options, high percentage of drop outs, and limited life plan continue to become more common within the adolescent male the belief that he must survive. In today’s generation, adolescent fathers may feel like if he plays an active role in the child’s life, then he will be an adult, but may also feel like he does not need to provide financial support to the mother. Because of an adolescent father’s fixated view of self, influenced by society, would only make sure he is in a “good” position. Social workers often put an emphasis on how the father grew up in a damaged household with little to no motivation to be an active father in the child’s life, whereas they should provide more assistance into helping him be a better person and the best father. With all of these challenges that adolescent fathers face, I begin to question, how much hope does society have for the African-American male and his

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