A Fatherless America Research Paper

Eugene and Valerie How do you raise five boys? A farm has freedoms to offer—not to mention space to raise those five boys. Valerie is a saint. Not only a pastor’s wife, but also the woman of the household who whips them into shape when one decides to chase the cows on a dare, smuggle a Doobie Brother’s album into his bedroom because it’s a sin, or surreptitiously walk into the movie theatre, after implementing an oath of allegiance never to enter because that’s also a sin—or from the devil, maybe both. Either way, these humorous, and sometimes challenging stories, mold the success of the traditional family in the 1900’s. My generation, however, has integrated models of the family, establishing new standards of what the traditional family entails. The journal articles, A Fatherless America, The Myths of the Traditional Family, and a chapter from the book Unhitched, embody the transformations of America’s family structure since the post-World War II era, contrasting with the modern family implications within America’s society. I want to introduce you to these changes made in America, and the observations these sources present. After presenting these sources to you, how will your view of the traditional family be influenced?

“A generation ago, an American child could reasonably expect to grow up with his or her father (1). The culture of fatherhood in American has drastically changed since the 1950’s, with a decline of fathers involved in their children’s lives. This journal article questions the role of fatherhood, but also highlights the importance of fatherhood. It raises these questions: Is the role of a father beneficial for the child? Does a father’s physical or emotional absence have harmful effects, or no effect, on the development of the