Transition Into Fatherhood

Throughout the matriculation of a black boy 's’ life, there are many, (labeled natural, yet are culturally, socially and institutionally based) factors, that govern the holistic views and beliefs entailed to the child. From that moment on, challenging the social structures that these norms entail suggest a sense of sensitivity, homosexuality or weakness, ultimately emasculating the highly regarded social stigmas attached with being a man. Despite being indoctrinated into the minds of black boys from an early age, there are many long lasting effects of masculinity that are in turn reciprocated in the role of black fathers, husbands, brothers and friends. Black masculinity is the self-deteriorating idealisms that attack the identity and social positions black men ascribe to.

The target population is African American adolescent fathers. Young African American fathers are face with many adversities. Culturally biased stereotypes, violence within the home and community, scarce economic resources and support, perceived biased by social workers, along with joblessness are some of the adversities experienced by this population (Hall, 2015, Icard, 2014,). One concern of African American adolescent fathers who are low income is the level of their involvement with their children. In addition to poverty, many of these fathers are challenge developmentally and socially. Developmentally, adolescence is a stage that is typically emotionally, social and physically challenging (Erikson ?). Socially the effects of racism disadvantage

A father’s role in a child’s life is extremely important when it comes to a child’s development. With so much emphasis placed on young black boys needing their fathers during crucial developmental ages, the rate of our young black girls growing up without fathers is staggering and overlooked. What is an absent father? The definition is quite simple; an absent father can be defined as a father who is not present in the life of their child whether it is physically, emotionally, or both. Although the absence of a father is detrimental in any child’s life, the absence of such in a young black girl’s life is even more crucial. The absent father in a black girl’s life leads to, in some cases, promiscuity and teenage pregnancy, poverty, and

According to Conner and White (2006), the traditional definition of fatherhood within the African American community underestimates the role of a father and further do not describe the systems that surround the African American experience adequately. Many interpretations of “fathers” have been discussed, with several scholars working from different perspectives offering

Black males is a major reason why 70% of black children are born to single mothers compared to the national average of 40%. Studies show that the main reason why black fathers fail their kids is because they don’t get married, or don’t stay married with their original spouse. The black community are the least likely to marry any other race in the United States. Another reason why black father fail their kids is because a lot of the time their relationship with the child well depend on the relationship they have with their mother, if that relationship fails than more likely than not the relationship with the child will fail as well. From personal experience and in the community I live in. In Prince Georges County Maryland, the majority race

(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

What happens to the fatherless child? Will this child be afforded the same opportunities as a child raised in a two parent homes? The growing epidemic of fatherless homes in America is a vastly growing trend. How far back through out American History can we trace this epidemic? Is there a close correlation between the absence of the father in the home, and likely hood of a child growing up to be a criminal? My primary focus will be on the affect this issue has on African American homes. Through out this paper I will address this issue, and give fact based reasoning for the matter in question. This issue is currently prevalent and an ever-growing predicament, I will compare and contrast the past and the present of this topic.

Often times the young African American mothers end up being young African American single mothers. The father’s involvement impacts many aspects of young African American mothers’ parenting. In a study by Cynthia O Lashley, Sydney L Hans, and Linda G Henson “Young African American mothers’ changing perceptions of their infants during the transition into parenthood”, Lashley et al. included research from McElroy & Moore stating “although most African American teenage mothers are not married to their children’s fathers, there is great variability in the patterns of involvement young men have with their families”. According to Gee and Rhodes, Fathers are usually more involved close after birth, however involvement decreases as the child gets older (Lashley 482). Because the young parents are not married and the pregnancies are often unplanned there is a lot of strain on their couple relationship and the relationship could diminish due to the stress of parenthood, making it easier for the father to be non-present in the child’s

In Jennifer Hamer’s book of black fatherhood, she identifies a number of critical factors that contribute to the major increase in live-away fathers. First, there were men who were just not prepared to become a father. Scared with the thought of bringing another person into this world, they did not know what to do nor did they have a clue of how to care for a child. Some men fled immediately after knowing his partner was pregnant. Fatherhood was just something they did not want to be a part of and like all of their other problems in life, they continued to run from them. Unlike these men, some fathers actually stuck around during their partner’s pregnancy and even after the child’s birth. But it did not always last long. Many of these children were conceived while the parents were just dating and living in separate homes. Once they were pregnant, the couple decided to try living together for the birth of their offspring not doing so before. After a few months of having conflicts and commitment issues the relationship between the parents was eventually broken and the male decided that it was his time to leave his family, labeling him as a live-away father. Second, the education level of some black men prevented them from being able to obtain blue-collard employment causing them to struggle to provide not only for themselves, but for their child as well. This left the father feeling as if he were not financially stable to support a child and pushed him into parting ways from

External factors such as incarceration, hard times, high death rates and the disproportion of men to women are linked to the absentee of the father in African American communities (McAdoo, 1997). The father’s absence is one of the main causes of poor well being of adolescence. It is a leading cause of social issues that’s prone to change the shape of society (Walton, 2015). Although this may be the case, the effects of the absentee father have a stronger impact on males in correlation to females. Overall, young black males are more heavily affected than males of any other race that live in father-less home. Effects do not always have to be from a negative perspective;

This book examine the psychological development and achievement motivation in African American children today, by closely looking at current political, global, economic, and social contexts and how they impact African American families. It includes history, current events, psychology, politics, public policy, sociology, and economics. Also, the author’s research intervention programs that target parents and children in low-income African American families. They try to create strategies to support young African American male relationship development, motivation, and achievement; and programs aiming to increase literacy and decrease obesity.

African-Americans families tend to have a stronger bond, helping the mother regardless of their marital status. Blacks realize that their apparent lack of education leaves them in a difficult situation, finding it almost impossible to support a family. In 1987 Wilson “argued that the decline in the economic position of many young black men has mad marriage an increasingly unattractive alternative for young black women. As a result, many black teenage girls may conclude that they have little to lose by having an out-of-wedlock birth, and motherhood may ant the same time, offer them some measure of respect and attention.”2 This is not a good thing because, when a family is unable to support itself then they tend to turn to welfare.

Janet Jacobs and Stefanie Mollborn wrote the article titled Early Motherhood and the Disruption in Significant Attachments based off of their studies of 48 teenage mothers to gain a better understanding of the hardships African American and Latina girls face when they become pregnant at a young age. This research analyzes the loss or damage of their different connections and relationships between the young mothers’ family members and friends, but the most important losses being between the teen mother and their immediate family, like their own mothers or siblings. Through these teen mothers’ life accounts, this article investigates the isolating impacts of young motherhood within their social lives and how it throws them into a life of sudden

However, is’t high rising black males in special education because of absent fathers in the home lack boys' lives is the phenomenon of "absent fatherhood," a phenomenon that sometimes serves as a complete explanation for black male underachievement and drives a tremendous amount of policy directed toward black boys. Researchers have discussed black men as absent fathers since the 1930s, but new data shows this construction is either completely wrong or very misleading. Not only have black families out-married white families at the turn of the 20th century and again in three of the past four decades, but contrary to popular belief, more black fathers actually live with their families than apart (2.5 million vs. 1.7 million), and those who live

Becoming a father is a life changing experience. Most fathers will remember that one special day for the rest of their lives, while other fathers say the day their child was born was the day their life as they knew it was over. After sitting down and interviewing three different fathers who had three very different experiences before and after child birth my eyes have been opened to the multiple views, experiences, memories, and feelings these three gentlemen have experienced or will soon experience. Mr. Snyder who is currently awaiting the birth of his first child in the spring of 2015 was the first man I interviewed. Mr. Celso is the second man I interviewed. Mr. Celso and his wife experienced a very emotional and nerve wrecking pregnancy and birth of their two 4 month old twins. Lastly, Mr. Shipley was the last man I interviewed. Mr. Shipley is a father of a one year old boy. Mr. Shipley’s experience of the birth of his child was much different then the other two gentlemen given that Mr. Shipley and the mother of his son are not in any type of relationship, nor were they during their child’s birth. Each of these men shared a lot of similarities as well as an abundance of differences regarding their children and soon to be children.