Abstract
Fatherhood has traditionally been viewed as part of a “package deal” in which a father’s relationship with his child is contingent on his relationship with the mother. We evaluate the accuracy of this hypothesis in light of the high rates of multiple-partner fertility among unmarried parents using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a recent longitudinal survey ofnonmarital births in large cities. We examine whether unmarried mothers’ and fathers’ subsequent relationship and parenting transitions are associated with declines in fathers ’ contact with their nonresident biological children. We find that father involvement drops sharply after relationships between unmarried parents end. Mothers’ transitions into new romantic partnerships and new parenting roles are associated with larger declines in involvement than fathers’ transitions. Declines in fathers’ involvement following a mother’s relationship or parenting transition are largest when children are young. We discuss the implications of our results for the well-being ofnonmarital children and the quality of nonmarital relationships faced with high levels of relationship instability and multiple-partner fertiliy.
The text of this article is only available as a PDF.
References
Amato, P., & Rezac, S.J. (
1994
). Contact With Nonresident Parents: Interparental Conflict and Children’s Behavior
. Journal of Family Issues
, 15
, 191
–207
. 10.1177/0192513X94015002003Amato, P., & Sobolewski, J.M. (
2004
). The Effects of Divorce on Fathers and Children: Nonresidential Fathers and Stepfathers
. In Lamb, M.E. (Ed.), The Role of the Father in Child Development
(pp. 341
–67
). 4th ed.Hoboken, NJ
: John Wiley and Sons
.Andersson, G. (
2002
). Children’s Experience of Family Disruption and Family Formation: Evidence From 16 FFS Countries
. Demographic Research
, 7
, 343
–64
. 10.4054/DemRes.2002.7.7Argys, L.M., & Peters, H.E. (
2001
). Patterns of Nonresident Father Involvement
. In Michael, R.T. (Ed.), Social Awakenings: Adolescent Behavior as Adulthood Approaches
(pp. 49
–78
). New York
: Russell Sage Foundation
.Argys, L.M., Peters, E., Cook, S., Garasky, S., Nepomnyaschy, L., & Sorenson, E. (
2007
). Measuring Contact Between Children and Nonresident Fathers
. In Hofferth, S.L., & Casper, L.M. (Eds.), Handbook of Measurement Issues in Family Research
(pp. 375
–98
). Mahwah, NJ
: Erlbaum
.Bumpass, L., & Lu, H.-H. (
2000
). Trends in Cohabitation and Implications for Children’s Family Contexts in the United States
. Population Studies
, 54
, 29
–41
. 10.1080/713779060Bzostek, S. (
2008
). Social Fathers and Child Wellbeing
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 70
, 950
–61
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00538.xBzostek, S., Carlson, M.J., & McLanahan, S. (
2007
). Repartnering After a Nonmarital Birth: Does Mother Know Best?
. Princeton, NJ
: Center for Research on Child Wellbeing, Princeton University
.Carlson, M., & Furstenberg, F. (
2006
). The Prevalence and Correlates of Multipartnered Fertility Among Urban U.S. Parents
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 68
, 718
–32
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2006.00285.xUnion Formation and Dissolution in Fragile Families
. (2003
). Princeton, NJ
: Princeton University
.-. 2007. “Parents’ Relationship Status Five Years After a Non-Marital Birth.” Fragile Families Research Brief No. 39. Princeton University.
Introduction to the Fragile Families Public Use Data
. (2008
). Princeton, NJ
: Princeton University
.Cherlin, A. (
1978
). Remarriage as an Incomplete Institution
. American Journal of Sociology
, 84
, 634
–50
. 10.1086/226830Cherlin, A. (
2004
). The Deinstitutionalization of American Marriage
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 66
, 848
–61
. 10.1111/j.0022-2445.2004.00058.xClassens, A. (
2007
). Gatekeeper Moms and (Un)Involved Dads: What Happens After a Breakup?
. In England, P., & Edin, K. (Eds.), Unmarried Couples With Children
(pp. 204
–27
). New York
: Russell Sage Foundation
.Coleman, M., Ganong, L., & Fine, M. (
2000
). Reinvestigating Remarriage: Another Decade of Progress
. Journal of Marriage and the Family
, 62
, 1288
–307
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.01288.xCooksey, E.C., & Craig, P.H. (
1998
). Parenting From a Distance: The Effects of Parental Characteristics on Contact Between Nonresidential Fathers and Their Children
. Demography
, 35
, 187
–200
. 10.2307/3004051Cooper, C., McLanahan, S., Meadows, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (
2009
). Family Structure Transitions and Maternal Parenting Stress
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 71
, 558
–74
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2009.00619.xDanziger, S.K., & Radin, N. (
1990
). Absent Does Not Equal Uninvolved: Predictors of Fathering in Teen Mother Families
. Journal of Marriage and the Family
, 52
, 636
–42
. 10.2307/352930Draper, N.R., & Smith, H. (
1998
). Applied Regression Analysis
. 3rd ed.Hoboken, NJ
: John Wiley & Sons
.Edin, K., Tach, L., & Mincy, R.B. (
2009
). Claiming Fatherhood: Race and the Dynamics of Paternal Involvement Among Unmarried Men
. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences
, 621
, 149
–77
. 10.1177/0002716208325548Fomby, P., & Cherlin, A.J. (
2007
). Family Instability and Child Wellbeing
. American Sociological Review
, 72
, 181
–204
. 10.1177/000312240707200203Furstenberg, F.F. (
1995
). Changing Roles of Fathers
. In Chase-Lansdale, P.L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (Eds.), Escape From Poverty: What Makes a Difference for Children?
(pp. 189
–210
). New York
: Cambridge University Press
.Furstenberg, F.F., & Cherlin, A.J. (
1991
). Divided Families: What Happens to Children When Parents Part
. Cambridge, MA
: Harvard University Press
.Graefe, D.R., & Lichter, D.T. (
2007
). When Unwed Mothers Marry: The Marital and Cohabiting Partners of Midlife Women
. Journal of Family Issues
, 28
, 595
–622
. 10.1177/0192513X06295200Halaby, C.N. (
2004
). Panel Models in Sociological Research: Theory Into Practice
. Annual Review of Sociology
, 30
, 507
–44
. 10.1146/annurev.soc.30.012703.110629Hamer, J.F. (
2001
). What It Means To Be a Daddy: Fatherhood Among Black Men Living Away From Their Children
. New York
: Columbia University Press
.Hausman, J.A. (
1978
). Specification Tests in Econometrics
. Econometrica
, 46
, 1251
–72
. 10.2307/1913827Hawkins, D., Amato, P., & King, V. (
2007
). Nonresident Father Involvement and Adolescent Well-being: Father Effects or Child Effects?
. American Sociological Review
, 72
, 990
–1010
. 10.1177/000312240707200607Hofferth, S.L. (
2006
). Residential Father Family Type and Child Well-being: Investment Versus Selection
. Demography
, 43
, 53
–77
. 10.1353/dem.2006.0006Hofferth, S.L., Pleck, J., Stueve, J.L., Bianchi, S., & Sayer, L. (
2002
). The Demography of What Fathers Do
. In Tamis-LeMonda, C.S., & Cabrera, N. (Eds.), Handbook of Father Involvement
(pp. 63
–90
). Mahwah, NJ
: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
.Huang, C.C. (
2006
). Child Support Enforcement and Father Involvement for Children in Never-Married Mother Families
. Fathering
, 4
, 97
–111
.Juby, H., Billette, J.M., Laplante, B., & Le Bourdais, C. (
2007
). Nonresident Fathers and Children: Parents’ New Unions and Frequency of Contact
. Journal of Family Issues
, 28
, 1220
–45
. 10.1177/0192513X07302103King, V. (
1994
). Variation in the Consequences of Nonresident Father Involvement for Children’s Wellbeing
. Journal of Marriage and the Family
, 56
, 963
–72
. 10.2307/353606King, V., Harris, K.M., & Heard, H.E. (
2004
). Racial and Ethnic Differences in Nonresident Father Involvement
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 66
, 1
–21
.Lerman, R.I. (
1993
). A National Profile of Young Unwed Fathers
. In Lerman, R.I., & Ooms, T.J. (Eds.), Young Unwed Fathers: Changing Roles and Emerging Policies
(pp. 27
–51
). Philadelphia
: Temple University Press
.Lerman, R.I., & Sorensen, E. (
2000
). Father Involvement With Their Nonmarital Children: Patterns, Determinants and Effects on Their Earnings
. In Peters, H.E., Peterson, G.W., Steinmetz, S.K., & Day, R.D. (Eds.), Fatherhood: Research, Interventions, and Policies
(pp. 137
–59
). New York
: The Haworth Press
.Lichter, D.T., Qian, Z., & Crowley, M.L. (
2005
). Child Poverty Among Racial Minorities and Immigrants: Explaining Trends and Differentials
. Social Science Quarterly
, 86
, 1037
–59
. 10.1111/j.0038-4941.2005.00335.xManning, W.D., & Lamb, K. (
2003
). Adolescent Well-being in Cohabiting, Married, and Single Parent Families
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 65
, 876
–93
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00876.xManning, W.D., & Smock, P.J. (
1999
). New Families and Nonresident Father-Child Visitation
. Social Forces
, 78
, 87
–116
. 10.2307/3005791Manning, W.D. (
2000
). ‘Swapping’ Families: Serial Parenting and Economic Support for Children
. Journal of Marriage and the Family
, 62
, 111
–22
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00111.xManning, W.D., Stewart, S.D., & Smock, P.J. (
2003
). The Complexities of Fathers’ Parenting Responsibilities and Involvement With Nonresident Children
. Journal of Family Issues
, 24
, 645
–67
. 10.1177/0192513X03024005004McLanahan, S., Garfinkel, I., Reichman, N., Teitler, J., Carlson, M., & Audigier, C.N. (
2003
). The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study: Baseline National Report
. Princeton, NJ
: Center for Research on Child Wellbeing, Princeton University
.Mincy, R.B. 2001. “Who Should Marry Whom? Multiple Partner Fertility Among New Parents.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Public Policy and Management, Washington, DC.
Mincy, R.B. and C.-C. Huang. 2002. “Determinants of Multiple-Partner Fertility.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Atlanta, GA.
Mincy, R.B., & Pouncy, H. (
2007
). Baby Fathers and American Family Formation
Essay, Future of the Black Family Series
. New York
: Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values
.Mott, F.L. (
1990
). When Is a Father Really Gone? Paternal-Child Contact in Father-Absent Homes
. Demography
, 27
, 499
–517
. 10.2307/2061567Nelson, T. and K. Edin. Forthcoming. Fragile Fatherhood. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Osborne, C., & McLanahan, S. (
2007
). Partnership Instability and Child Wellbeing
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 64
, 1065
–83
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00431.xSeltzer, J.A. (
1991
). Relationships Between Fathers and Children Who Live Apart: The Father’s Role After Separation
. Journal of Marriage and the Family
, 53
, 79
–101
. 10.2307/353135Seltzer, J.A. (
2000
). Child Support and Child Access: The Experiences of Marital and Non-Marital Families
. In Oldham, T., & Melli, M. (Eds.), Child Support: The Next Frontier
(pp. 69
–87
). Ann Arbor, MI
: University of Michigan Press
.Seltzer, J.A., & Bianchi, S.M. (
1988
). Children’s Contact With Absent Parents
. Journal of Marriage and the Family
, 50
, 663
–67
. 10.2307/352636Sobolewski, J.M., & King, V. (
2005
). The Importance of the Coparental Relationship for Nonresident Fathers’ Ties to Children
. Journal of Marriage and Family
, 67
, 1196
–212
. 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005.00210.xStephens, L.S. (
1996
). Will Johnny See Daddy This Week? An Empirical Test of Three Theoretical Perspectives of Postdivorce Contact
. Journal of Family Issues
, 17
, 466
–94
. 10.1177/019251396017004003Stewart, S.D. (
1999
). Nonresident Mothers’ and Fathers’ Social Contact With Children
. Journal of Marriage and the Family
, 61
, 894
–907
. 10.2307/354011Sullivan, M.L. (
1993
). Young Fathers and Parenting in Two Inner City Neighborhoods
Young Unwed Fathers: Changing Roles and Emerging Policies
(pp. 52
–73
). Philadelphia
: Temple University Press
.Townsend, N.W. (
2004
). The Package Deal: Marriage, Work, and Fatherhood in Men’s Lives
. Philadelphia PA
: Temple University Press
.Waller, M.R. (
2002
). My Baby’s Father: Unwed Parents and Paternal Responsibilities
. Ithaca, NY
: Cornell University Press
.Waller, M.R., & Swisher, R. (
2006
). Fathers’ Risk Factors in Fragile Families: Implications for ‘Healthy’ Relationships and Father Involvement
. Social Problems
, 53
, 392
–420
. 10.1525/sp.2006.53.3.392Young, A. (
2003
). The Minds of Marginalized Black Men: Making Sense of Mobility, Opportunity, and Future Life Chances
. Princeton, NJ
: Princeton University Press
.Yuan, A.S., & Hamilton, H.A. (
2006
). Stepfather Involvement and Adolescent Wellbeing: Do Mothers and Nonresident Fathers Matter?
. Journal of Family Issues
, 27
, 1191
–213
. 10.1177/0192513X06289214© Population Association of America 2010
2010
Issue Section:
Articles
