Role of the Father Flashcards
Role of the Father
- While traditionally the role of the father may have been limited, as fathers would go to work to provide resources whilst the mothers stayed home and took care of the children, in recent times the role of the father has significantly changed.
- however, psychologists disagree over the exact role of the father.
- Some researchers claim that men are simply not equipped to form an attachment. such psychologists point to biological evidence which suggests that the hormone oestrogen underlies caring behaviour in women and the lack of oestrogen in men is why they are unable to form a close attachment.
- Other researchers argue that fathers do not take on a role as a caregiver but in fact provide a different role: as a playmate.
- Finally, some researchers argue that fathers can demonstrate sensitive responsiveness and respond to the needs of their children and therefore can form a strong emotional bond.
Role of the Father - Strength
point: There is research evidence for the role of the father as a ‘playmate’ rather than a primary caregiver.
evidence: Research by Geiger (1996) found that a fathers’ play interactions were more exciting in comparison to a mothers’. However, the mothers’ play interactions were more affectionate and nurturing.
justification: This suggests that the role of the father is in fact as a playmate and not as a sensitive parent who responds to the needs of his children. These results also confirm that the mother takes on a nurturing role.
implication: This has implications for families with children as it helps to strongly establish the role of the father as a playmate and the mother as a nurturing caregiver which provides a strong balance for the child’s development.
Role of the Father - Strength
point: There is research suggesting that fathers can form secure attachments with their children if they are in an intimate marriage.
evidence: Belsky et al. (2009) found that males who reported higher levels of marital intimacy also displayed a secure father-infant attachment, whereas males with lower levels of marital intimacy displayed insecure father-infant attachments.
justification: This suggests that males can form secure attachments with their children but the strength of the attachment depends on the father and mother relationship.
implication: This has applications in family counselling, whereby the focus on marital intimacy extends to the child’s development.
Role of the Father - Strength
point: There is research evidence suggesting that fathers are not as equipped as mothers to provide a sensitive and nurturing attachment.
evidence: Hrdy (1999) found that fathers were less able to detect low levels of infant distress, in comparison to mothers. These results appear to support the biological explanation that the lack of oestrogen in men means that fathers are not innately equipped to form close attachments with their children.
justification: This suggests that the role of the father is to some extent, biologically determined and that a father’s role is restricted because of his genetic makeup.
counter-argument: However, this provides a determinist perspective on the role of the father as it implies that a father’s role is limited due to his biological mechanisms when in fact there are other factors in play, such as upbringing, their own attachment experiences from childhood and mental health factors such as depression, which can hinder a father’s ability to effectively form an attachment with his child.
justification: As a result, although biological factors can significantly impact the role of the father, a more comprehensive outlook is required in order to prevent the neglect of other factors, e.g., psychological.
Role of the Father - Weakness
point: There is research evidence against the idea of the role of the father.
evidence: MacCallum and Golombok (2004) found that children growing up in single-parent or same-sex families do not develop any differently from those who grow up in more ‘conventional’ families.
justification: This suggests that the role of the father is not significant in attachment and that children can develop naturally regardless of the father’s presence.
implication: This has sociocultural implications whereby traditional paternal roles are reinforced, leading to the belief that caregiving is a maternal responsibility.
