Relationship Between Father Absence and Self-Concept of Black Adolescent Boys

The literature reveals that the conception an individual forms of himself is usually acquired through socialization. What an individual acquires depends largely on the kind of personalities he is associated with and the culture in which his activities are patterned, what important persons in the environment think of him, their attitudes toward him, and who those important persons of the environment are.1 There is much evidence that supports the view that the father is one of those important persons.2 Thus, when he is absent from the home, it is highly likely that the children, especially boys, will experience some damage.3 There is also considerable evidence to suggest that a student's performance in an academic setting is influenced in both subtle