ABSTRACT
Theoretical assumptions that guide research on fathers and families both explain the choice of topics and provide an organizational structure for this chapter. We draw attention to 11 themes of importance. First, to understand fully the nature of father-child relationships, it is necessary to recognize the interdependence among the roles and functions of all family members. Families are best viewed as social systems. Consequently, to understand the behavior of one member of a family, the complementary behaviors of other members also need to be recognized and assessed. For example, as men’s roles in families shift, changes in women’s roles in families are also in flux (Parke, 1996, 2013).
