The Anticipation of Single Parenthood

Current demographic patterns indicate that a significant number of children are living apart from their biological fathers, suggesting a structural fragility or vulnerability of men's connections with their children. In this article, we first explore whether fathers have concerns about possible disruptions of their relationships with their children and identify the nature of these concerns. Next, we identify those characteristics that distinguish the fathers with high levels of concern from those who are less concerned. The quality of the marital or partner relationship strongly predicts fathers' concerns. Fathers who have a history of living apart from their child, and who maintain a high level of involvement with that child, express the least amount of concern. In addition, we find that the salience of the father role predicts concerns but that this effect varies according to the fathers' current age.