Abstract
The task of differentiating the effects of fathering from mothering is an important one that spans across disciplines and decades. While recognizing the importance of this research area, this chapter intervenes in research on parenthood and child well-being by pointing out the heteronormative logic underlying the assumption that motherhood and fatherhood have distinct effects on child well-being. The chapter first offers a gendered perspective to complicate the idea that fatherhood and motherhood are distinct constructs. Second, it presents a case study of how fathers matter in same-sex families. Third, it argues for conceptualizing the long arm of parenthood, wherein parenting in the early life course of the child has cumulative consequences for parenting the child later in life—impacting the well-being of both children and parents. The aim of this chapter is to raise questions and innovative ideas for researchers who work in this area.
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Acknowledgements
Support for this chapter was provided by the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (OD) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (R03, 1R03HD078754-01A1, PI: Reczek & Liu).
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Reczek, C. (2016). Re-envisioning Why Fathers Matter Beyond the Gender Binary: A Case for Gay Fathers. In: McHale, S., King, V., Van Hook, J., Booth, A. (eds) Gender and Couple Relationships. National Symposium on Family Issues, vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21635-5_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21635-5_11
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