TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One: Fathers, facts and fictions    
Why myths matter: Misperceiving and stereotyping
Perpetuating the myths
      Children’s books
     Television
      Movies
      Fairytales
      Magazine advertisements
 The myths   
      Childcare and housework: Mother’s second shift
      Fathers’ commitments to children
      Work-family stress
       Stay at home mothers
       Mothers’ and fathers’ priorities
       Sex discrimination in the workforce
       Maternal instinct
       Empathy and communication
       Child abuse
       Spouse abuse  
      
Chapter Two :  Fathers and Fatherhood
Are fathers necessary?
Ignoring fathers in research and practice
What is “good” fathering?
     Father hunger scale
     Father involvement scale
     Nurturing father scale
     Father presence questionnaire
 Positive  impact of daughters on fathers
Negative impact of daughters on fathers        

Chapter Three: How and why fathers matter
Cognitive development
Academic and vocational success 
Identity and individuation
Psychoanalytic perspectives 
Athletic development
Social development
Sexual behavior and romantic relationships  
Depression and anxiety disorders
Eating disorders

Chapter Four: The mother’s impact
Closeness and communication
Idealizing mothers
Psychoanalytic theories
Attachment theory
Neurobiological and evolutionary theory
Family systems theory  
Maternal gate-keeping
The co-parenting relationship
Marital happiness
       
Chapter Five: Divorced fathers and their daughters
Whose boots do the walking?
Long term impact of divorce
Time and relationship quality
Impact of too little fathering  
Fathers raising children alone
Shared parenting families
Damage to father-daughter relationships     
Obstacles and damaging situations
        Societal messages
        Parent child relationships before divorce
Mother’s attitudes and behavior
      Mothers’ disclosures
     Mothers attitudes towards shared parenting
     Parental alienation
     Maternal gatekeeping
Financial issues
Remarriage
The legal system  
  
Chapter Six: Fathers and daughters in Racial and Ethnic Minorities
America’s fragile families
Characteristics of unmarried fathers
Poverty and fathering
Myths about low income fathers
African American fathers and daughters
Immigrant fathers and daughters
Hispanic American fathers and daughters
Asian American fathers and daughters
Biracial daughters
      
Chapter Seven: Difficult and Challenging Relationships 
Incarcerated fathers
     National statistics
     Racial differences
     Factors impeding fathering
Physically abusive fathers
Sexually abusive fathers
Alcoholic fathers
Gay fathers
Lesbian daughters 
Daughters of sperm donors
Adopted daughters
Stepfathers and daughters
Military fathers
Early death of fathers
Elderly fathers
       
Epilogue