Depression and Father Involvement: The Moderating Effect of Masculine Norms

Presented by: Brandon Fielding, Kevin Shafer

Traditionally, fathers have held various and competing roles in society, ranging from breadwinning to caregiving. Paternal involvement is known to be a key predictor of children's emotional wellbeing, mental health, academic performance, and outcomes in later life. Despite this, we know little about potential predictors of paternal involvement. This study seeks to examine how mental health and masculine norm adherence influence paternal involvement. Depression and masculinity combine to influence all four measures of paternal involvement. Overall, depression had weaker effects on parenting if the father adhered to traditional masculine norms.

Fathers Buffering the Effects of Maternal Depression on Child Behavior

Presented by: Justin K Scott

The current study examined the influence of maternal depression on children's behavior problems from 54 months of age to 9^thgrade, and investigated whether father sensitivity moderates this relationship. Using data from 694 families, quadratic models of children's externalizing behaviors were estimated, and maternal depression, father sensitivity, and their interaction were added to the model as predictors. Simple slopes revealed that father sensitivity predicted more favorable trajectories when mothers were depressed. The current study finds supporting evidence for a buffering effect of father sensitivity.

Going Fishing and Playing Ball: Generative Grandfather-Grandson Activities

Presented by: James S. Bates, Alan C. Taylor, Toyin Babatunde

Recent economic, social, and cultural forces have encouraged greater involvement of grandparents in their grandchildren's lives. The relationship that grandfathers form and maintain with their grandchildren has implications not only for grandfather health and well-being but also for the developing grandchild. One fundamental question researchers have been seeking to answer is: What types of activities do grandfathers participate in with their grandchildren? The answers to this question are likely to provide an illuminated understanding of the motivations for strengthening intergenerational bonds and for the outcomes that result from such activities. This question is focus of the current study.

Low-income, Nonresident Fathers' Coparenting with Mothers and Relatives

Presented by: Rebecca Kaufman, Jay Fagan, Ethan Levine, Colin Hammar

Low income, nonresident fathers are often involved in complex coparenting networks that may involve multiple adults. However, coparenting literature often obscures this complexity through limiting attention to father-mother relationships. The study used family systems theory to examine the effects of fathers' coparenting with mothers and relatives on fathers' parenting self-efficacy, satisfaction with father-child relationships, and closeness with children. Findings suggest that 93% of fathers (N = 586) reported at least one mother in their coparenting network, and 60% reported at least one relative. Overall, fathers who reported having more mothers in their coparenting networks reported lower satisfaction, self-efficacy, and closeness.

Grandfathering and Masculinity: A Review of the Literature

Presented by: Sonia Molloy, Jill Naar, Shelby Borowski

As the US population is aging, research on families in later life is emerging and more specifically grandparenting scholarship. This literature review utilizes the lens of the family studies and fathering literature to inform the understanding of grandfathering with a focus on masculinity. An extensive search of the literature in peer-reviewed journals addressing areas of family, men, and aging studies revealed 18 articles addressing this phenomenon. Results indicate there is a gap in the literature investigating grandfathering and the role in masculinity. Future research should theorize, conceptualize and seek to understand the role of masculinity in grandfather involvement.